Data... what is data? It's information right? More specifically facts and statistics that we gather to analyze and make decisions. I never thought of what it meant much, but in my tecnology class I have to. There are so mny things that we juzt do daily anddon't even realize it. I have been in school for different things over the years and never once considered the word data. How many times have I researched information to make a graph, concept map, statistics and papers? Actually just last class, History of American Education, I had to create a timeline with 20 different historical events that had an impact on the development of education in America. I went to many websites, reread many moments in history, read newspaper articles, even looked up laws. Then I created a timeline with brief discription of each event and summarized how our education in American has changed, what has been postive, what has been negative and what direction I see the future of education heading.

Technology in our classes

James Marshall found that educational technology "complements what a great teacher does naturally. . . . With ever-expanding content and technology choices, from video to multimedia to the Internet, there's an unprecedented need to understand the recipe for success, which involves the learner, the teacher, the content, and the environment in which technology is used." It is imporatant to me as a teacher who still wants to reach children perslnally and on what ever kndividual need they have that technology does not take over, that it does just naturally compliment what I am doing in the classroom.
The past centuryhas been one of major growth in to modern technology. The way we teach, learn and communicate has been drastically effected by the growth and changes.not only that by the audience to whom we communicate with is changing as well. Teachers used to communicate to students and other teachers, while students with their teachers and fellow students. Now the world wide web is a major tool. We research online and cite others material, we blog and publish and post everything on the web. We have brought social media into our everyday lives for education and personal reasons. The wor,d is now our audience, as nothing is private anymore.

Some of the cool advancements in technology tbat i have experienced are a couple things like the interactive white boards, and tablets or Ipads.
The white boards are sensory based and can recognize colors, shapes, letters, numbers and talk a child through writing, math and some younger elementary educational contenet. My daughter loves this. This year at open house she ran up to it to show me that it knew if she made a mistake. She said now she could fix it before the teacher knew. This made me laugh. But the idea that they can get instruction and guidance immediately even if the teacher is with another student is cool.
The next thing I really like is the idea of tablets or iipads being used. This combines so many things, a student can research online, have a dictionary, educational apps, ebooks, text book, videos, email and so much more all in the palm of their hand. So not only is this more convienent, it is a great go green idea and saving our planet.