Since I'm a huge fan of music.

Good evening!  Since we got about 6 inches of snow here on the Outer Banks, I figured I'd share some good music.  This is a cover of Satisfied Mind by Eilen Jewell, this is by far the best version of this song I've ever heard. 

Eilen Jewell-Satisfied Mind

What I know Chapter 1

Technology is a wonderful thing, especially when at the press of a button or a swipe of a screen, one can have an entire world of knowledge in their hands.  I remember growing up when the internet really started kicking off in the mid-1990's, the elementary school I was attending at the time started using computers to replace the Dewey Decimal System.  You could simply type in a book's title to see if the school library carried it and whether or not it was checked out.  They didn't start using the internet as an educational tool until a few years later when the school system started getting internet access.  I don't know if they were up to date on keeping the district technology adept, but it was a big change for many people.  I think the first time I ever used a computer as a source of information wasn't through the internet, it was through Microsoft Encarta.  At the time I thought it was amazing how someone could type in a topic and you'd find a very in depth and comprehensive article on it.  The problem with Encarta is that it didn't have up to date information, so you never knew if something was changed after it was updated.  Encarta was greatly used for several years for classroom inquiries, until the internet made it obsolete.  When I become a social studies teacher, the best source of up to date information on current events and such will be the internet.  This will help students stay informed on the important issues in their life and the world around them.  Can this be used to teach them real life skills?  Yes it can, I believe that one of the most important skills a student can learn just from some sorting all this information will be the ability to think critically.  When they read an article, they can determine whether or not it affects them or if the article is true or false.  That is one of the disadvantages to the internet and it's information overload, one has to be able to determine whether an article is accurate or not. 

I had a history teacher in high school who started every new topic with a 45 minute Powerpoint presentation.  They weren't boring, they had music, short video's, and all sorts of effects.  It definitely kept your attention.  Thankfully he wasn't one of those teachers who lectured while he clicked the mouse to change slides.  To make these Powerpoints, they definitely took a lot of time, but he enjoyed doing it.  He taught us how to implement technology in our research and presentations as well. 

Nowadays, technology is so readily available to students of all ages that I see no problem with providing each of them a laptop.  I understand there are some districts that lack the proper funding.  Having the necessary skills with technology are invaluable to anyone's development because most jobs require you to have basic computer skills.  Almost 80% of New York City high school graduates barely possess the necessary skills to attend college level courses.  If a student can barely read or write, then how can they have basic computer skills to find a job?