Week 14

Chapter 31 Reading Response:

Chapter 31 “Emerging Instructional Technologies: The Near Future” was a fun read. I thought the Electronic Training Jacket was a really cool idea. It would be so nice to simply use a voiceprint, fingerprint or DNA scan to log into a computer or get into a building. It sounds a lot like the futuristic movies I have seen. I know for me I carry around half a dozen keys and a handful of log in and passwords; it would be so much easier if I could simply put my thumb on a pad and have the door open or unlock. It would be really amazing to simply say a little phrase and log on to my computer or any computer for that matter with all of my stuff. I know that in the school setting (especially at the beginning of the year) when my class goes to the lab I have a hand full of kids that do not know their passwords or log in names, or they use their friends log in because they have lost their computer privileges, it would be so much easier if they had voice print identification, thumb print identification to log on to the system. However, it does scare me to think that my DNA might be used to log me into a system. It makes me a little uneasy for that information to be out there.

It is really difficult for me to decide what my favorite activity was from this class, but since I have to choose, I would say the website. I found it to be the most applicable to me at this moment. I love the ease with which you can create a website. Now that I know how to do it I have shown a number of colleagues how to create websites for their classes. It is so much easier to create a website as a means for disseminating information. I simply put the information for a class on the website and email parents or students the link.

I love how easy it is to edit and change the website. I go to my site just about every day now. It is so much fun and I have found that it saves me a lot of time. I use to get a lot of questions from parents about track and indoor track (honestly questions that did not take long to answer but still replying to phone calls and emails does take time). Now, I email the parent(s) a link to the website. I can spend more time teaching and coaching and less time answering emails. If you are like me you get a ridiculous amount of emails a day and I can spend an hour or more just replying to emails.