Week+1+(January+11,+2010)

This first class has been pleasantly surprising. I was **initially skeptica**l about taking this class. I had heard from students who took it last year that there were profs teaching it who knew nothing about technology and who had to learn along with the students how to manipulate different tools. The class was apparently a little frustrating. However, it's obvious that our prof knows his stuff and is really excited about sharing not only his knowledge in terms of practical use, but his teaching philosophies about how students today learn and how learning strategies are constantly changing. This image shows how I felt about learning about new software (accessed at http://www.guydavid.com/art/digital_art/contrast/confusion.jpg)

I was also intimidated by this class because **I'm not a pro with computers**. I know how to quickly navigate through the programs I'm familiar with (such as music downloading with a torrent, facebook and youtube, and I even know how to use a Wiki because I had to make one last term), but when it comes to formatting or using a proxy, I have no idea how to do that. I also feel like it's not something I particularly care to learn about because it seems like it's difficult to use and it's something I would never have to use. However, when the prof mentioned that some students can use a proxy to access websites that should be blocked, I remembered that there was a class I taught during my practicum in which a group of boys were somehow able to access games on the internet that were supposed to be blocked. I heard them telling each other how to do it and it was like listening to another language. **I had no idea what they were talking about.** I really wish that I had known what they were saying, not just so that I could get them back on track, but because I felt embarrassed. I had no idea what was going on and I didn't know if I should tell them to stop talking about it. It would be so great if I could walk into a tech classroom and **not feel intimidated** because the students know so much more than I do. I'll end this entry by saying that I'm very much looking forward to this class. Our prof seems very realistic with his expectations, he's upbeat and super helpful and has made me feel very at ease in the classroom. One last comment about the readings this week. It's incredible to think that **children's minds are actually wired differently than ours.** There seems to be a prejudice in today's schools that when students are multi-tasking, they aren't paying attention. The article this week has proven that they work differently than we do and we need to be sensitive.