Thing # 1 - This is my Frontier

As I looked over the 7 ½ habits of Lifelong Learners, I became uneasy when Habit #6 - Use Technology To Your Advantage - popped up on the screen.  When I went to school, computers were not prevalent, cell phones were just beginning to emerge in the form of large brick-like structures, and windows on cars still had to be rolled down with a crank handle.  … Oh how far we have come.  My parents never were interested in the latest technology, so as a result, neither were my brother and I.  We grew up turning pages of books and playing outside from dawn to dusk.  I have to admit, I am nervous about really learning about technology.  Don’t take me wrong, I use a cell phone albeit an old one that can just make calls, and I know my way around a computer.  Anything more than that though is so foreign to me.  Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, etc. seem completely alien.  I know that I have to face “my last frontier”.  In order for me to become the best teacher that I can be, I have to embrace the technology that is around me, learn how to incorporate into my everyday life, and use that knowledge to help my students develop to the best of their ability.

But, alas, when Habit #7 ½ popped up – Play – I felt much better.  Now this is something that is right up my alley.  I have always been good at playing and having fun.  As I said earlier, when we were younger, my brother and I would spend all day outside running around and playing.  At dinnertime, my mother would open the front door and yell “Kids, Dinner”, and we would come running.  Then right after dinner, we would build a fort, construct Lego cities, and play board games.  As I got older, I kept that same spirit and have passed that disposition down to my children.  We are constantly on the go.  Whether it is exploring a different hiking trail, inventing a new game, or running around in the backyard, we are having fun just playing.  Playing has been such an integral part in my life that it has helped shape who I am today.  This is something that definitely benefit me in the classroom.