What I have learned from EDM 310...

I feel that I have learned a great deal about education and technology within this class/course. As a future teacher/educator, I feel that it is my responsibility to take what I have learned from this course and use it to become a more effective teacher.

The sum of the parts that make up Google (Docs: spreadsheets, forms, and presentations, iGoogle, and Earth) have taught me to take advantage of programs that are "free" (in terms of cost), especially if they serve as an educational aid to teachers and students. Web-based media programs (social networking sites), such as Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube have taught me that programs such as these (which are usually used strictly for entertainment purposes) can be used beneficially within a scholastic program.

I even began to gain respect for Mac-based applications. The Podcasts and iTunes store demonstrated to me how a person can participate in a portable, hand-held educational experience at just about any location in the world. To me, both of these innovations can be used as a way of propelling the present state of education into the future.

The thing that I enjoyed learning about the most in this course was the blogs. To me, both the individual and professional blogs helped me gain a better understanding of myself - not only as a writer but as a future teacher. I feel that both of these (along with the class blog) have played a huge part in my decision to continue the pursuit of my dream - to teach English to students outside the U.S.

In essence, I feel that I have learned that education and technology are not only compatible - they are essential in the evolution of educational practice and excellence. As I have said before, I feel that I have a responsibility to my students by offering them the best education possible. I feel that the teachings of Dr. Strange and the course itself will help me in maintaining that responsibility. However, it is up to teachers to decide for themselves whether the combination of these two (education and technology) will become their "greatest fear" or "most valuable asset". I have picked the latter.