Teen Second Life

While watching the video, Digital Youth Portrait I learned about after school activities that are oriented around technology. In this after school program, called Global Kids, they create an Avatar and participate in Second Life, in this program they can learn about other areas and interact with people from all over the world. Second life is a form of Machinima. Through these activities the kids develop confidence, leadership, and a better understanding of the world outside of their own community. I believe that this is a really cool idea for an after school group. It gives children who might not have an outlet through sports or other school related activities learn to be leaders and how to work with other people. They also learn of new ways to educate others like with the program on the genocide in Darfur. All types of kids need a way of how to become a leader and something they can be passionate about, I think that this program is a great example of going outside the box to come up with a fantastic new idea.

Times Are a Changing

After watching the video Did You Know on YouTube, it is impossible to not see how much the internet has become an every day part of our lives. Everything from how we get our news, buy things, entertainment, and communication are influenced by the internet. I never would have guessed that YouTube and Myspace were so much more used than NBC, ABC, and CBS. It will be very interesting to see how younger generations grow up and the relationship skills that they develop with all of the technology that is available to them. With texting, Facebook, and Skype, people are not required to be face to face to interact. This has causes bullying especially to become more and more of a serious problem. With every generation new ideas and technology is introduced. Older generations may see web interacting as intimidating but it is the way of the future and everyone is going to have to learn to adjust.

Digital Youth Portrait

Exploring Through Technology

After reading the article, Shifting Ground by Chris Lehmann, I am now even more excited about this class. This article proves that they are infinite possibilities of how to use the internet and other new technologies in the classroom. I believe that one of the most beneficial ways to use technology to engage and empower our students is to allow the students to interact with communities that are not in their own backyard. It enables students to see their impact in the world and also to interact and learn about other cultures and beliefs first hand. With this class I hope to learn about new ideas of how to use technology in the classroom and to open myself to learning about new ideas as they come out in the future.

Hi my name is Rae Baerlocher and I am in the education department at The University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. Along with receiving my Bachelors in Elementary Education I plan on getting a minor in reading.