First Day of Class (Summer Semester)

I got off to a slow start with class today. After completing a busy day at work with IEPs as well as getting my students prepared to take their final examinations in the coming weeks, I had a ton of chores to do when getting home. I was fortunate that my wife and I worked together at completing these as we took turns between completing the chores and taking care of our children. I did manage to become familiar with the course syllabus, content, and demands. With this I set up my first gmail address (I always used hotmail, but I figured I would eventually create a g-mail account). I also set up my blog for the class. Upon looking at the National Education Technology Standards for 2008 that were established by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), I have concluded that the use of a blog in a class pretty much covers each of the five standards adequately. The standard that is most covered by the use of a blog however would probably be standard 1. The use of a blog is an excellent way for teachers to enable students to express their knowledge in a creative manner that is outside of the box in terms of traditional learning. Students are given more leeway with a blog to demonstrate their mastery of content. With this, the use of a blog facilitates and inspires student learning and creativity. I felt a little inundated when I first looked at the schedule from the "home sweet home" page for the course, but I figure I will get better acquainted with it. Anyhow, I am looking forward to learning more about how to use technology in the classroom for the benefit of my students. I am also looking forward to meeting my classmates this summer. I shall return for more discussion tomorrow. Good night all.