Immigration or integration

So I have been trying to figure out if being a Digital Immigrant means that I need to integrate more technology into my ideas of teaching, or if it means that I need to just overhaul my previous ideas of education.  I think that my generation is in a very unique position in that I can see both side of the fence. By no means would I consider myself a Digital Native because I still remember life without a computer.  When we got out first computer I was about 13 and it came in 4 or 4 boxes, all with cow spots on them... it was so freaking cool to see.  I also remember listening to the radio and watching TV commercials and slowly seeing website URLs become more and more prevalent.  One day I even said to me dad that I thought that 'this Internet thing could be really popular'... then getting AOL... I kind of miss the dial tone of connecting to AOL... but not really.  Now I just purchased a computer a couple months ago that I can connect to the internet while I eat lunch in the parking lot, I also have an iPod, an Android phone, and spend 9 hours a day in front of my computer at work on a number of different software programs and internet based networks.  I have a great deal of experience with technology and am capable of learning things quickly, but still continue to romanticize the idea of teaching without the current forms of digital media.  At times I even catch myself day dreaming about when I didn't have a cell phone... but at the same time... I could not function very well without being able to e-mail, text or facebook from my phone.

So what do I do now?  Bring internet and computer based programs into the classroom?  Or do I find ways to make games from basic materials that dont involve a power word or a battery? I know that many would say, "What about a mix of both?" and as much as I feel like that sounds good, I don't know how well I would be able to accomplish that in the classroom.  Is integrating technology into the classroom walking a fine line between electronics and power free? Or should it be more of a full immersion type of move?

And so it begins

Blogging is something that is super new to me.  I am taking this class to learn about new ways to teach in the digital age and also to have a better understanding of the tools that are currently out there for students to use.  Blogs are one of the things that I knew existed but have never found a use for.  I guess this will be a really interesting class for me if it starts off like this. 
I am currently working towards my M. Ed and hopefully soon will be working in a classroom where I don't make a fool of myself trying to figure out how to use all these new internet gadgets. 

Heres to hoping. 

Class time

This is my wonderful first blog.