Reading Reflection BWP Ch. 1-3

Here I am at the end of the semester and I'm reflecting on the first three chapters of a book I read back in September. Time to reflect on a reflection I thought about three months ago, and the candle is now a roaring flame...but that is not a problem.

I remember those early days of the Internet. As s-l-o-w as it was (in today's standard), it was fast as we knew it for that time. I recall demonstrating a download to my father-in-law, and his amazement in watching it appear (at least little by little). Yet today we web has progressed into a new generation of read/write capabilities. This opens the door for social learning and networking, not just between machines but amongst people and ideas. Suddenly you can "connect" with individuals with similar interests, similar lifestyles, similar cultural backgrounds.How we respond in manner and etiquette is still being debated and defined, but our world has suddenly been turned upside down....or right side up. As teachers we have a much bigger (and deeper) toolbox to draw from...as well as so much more to stay abreast of. As simple as the Internet is, it's a complex maize of things you need to not only learn but remember, too. With freedom comes responsibility, not only for yourself, but knowing where you're steering your students. Their safety should always be our concern, so it is important that my assignments be clear and concise, free of any void and confusion.

I love the idea of maintaining a classroom blog! It allows our class the opportunity to look outward, and it provides parents and community the ability to look inside. It's more than two-dimensional as it can freeze time to the present, look back on the past, and jump ahead into the future. I love it! And while school websites are nice, they don't provide an end-all solution. They often take too much time to update and everything funnels through the office of one individual. Meanwhile a blog is updated instantly...real time stuff! Looking at some of the examples in the textbook which are already in use in various classrooms, it clearly demonstrates a "best practice" which I look forward to using in years to come.