First Blog Post EVER!

I'm working really hard right now to study abroad in Argentina for 3 weeks this summer. Traveling to South America was never something I had remotely imagined myself doing, and now that I'm on my way I can't imagine NOT having the opportunity to explore that continent. And with this possibility comes the experience of entering a different culture with different technological resources.

As someone in her mid-thirties, I tend to be a bit hesitant when it comes to technology. When I think about using technology in my future classroom, I lean towards less rather than more for two primary reasons. The first is that I feel I have realistic expectations. My school will probably not have many resources due to budget constraints. The second is my own hesitancy born from fear, and this is something I feel I need to overcome. My students will probably be quite comfortable with technology, and therefore I should be as well if I am to connect with them on multiple levels.

When I think about traveling to Argentina this summer (and visiting classrooms there), I know that technology will be a very, very small part (if at all) of their experience. I am really looking forward to this experience, as I think it will feel a bit like stepping back as compared to our society. Life was much simpler in many ways when technology was more basic, and I think people tended to connect much more with each other. I enjoy seeing children experiment with the simple things in life, and believe it is these experiences that truly spark creativity and ingenuity in individuals. I am looking forward to having this experience in my "cultural backpack", as I believe it will play a role in the teacher I become for many future students.

With that being said, I would say that my expectations regarding technology are to learn to work with and become comfortable with that which is available to me. I would like to have the ability to be creative in this aspect. I don't want to become a teacher who relies on technology for my daily needs. Instead, I would like to be comfortable with that which is available, and additionally have the creative outlook to "think outside the box", using any resources I can find.

I feel this outlook in itself will be a huge benefit to my future students. I want them to become individuals who take what they have (regardless of how much or how little) and create great things. Think MacGyver here. I want my students to find success with advanced technology as well as with a stick, a paperclip, and a piece of paper. I want them to learn to seize the world with whatever they can, and in any situation. And I believe this begins with the example I set.