Thing #3

When I first entered the teaching program students were told make their Facebook accounts private. Do not accept invitations from students. They say this because the first things students will do when they learn your name is get on Google and find out all about you. Imagine if a blog like any of the 50 Must-See teacher blogs popped up when they searched you. Now that is a good first impression.
As a teacher it has many uses. The internet is what children and adults alike flock to now. It is where they talk, do their research, and learn about the world around them and what is happening in the world. Blogs can end up being a useful tool in a teacher's arsenal. A teacher can connect their students with useful research materials, and point them toward a love of reading or science even after the school day ends. The parents may also benefit from these. By reading your thoughts and articles on teaching, a parent can know were you stand on issues, and begin to view you as a dedicated professional. If you post articles meant for the children you teach, for instance the best books for an elementary school class, then it can allow parents to become more involved with their child's education. And we all know that this is a vital component for an effective educational atmosphere.
Above and beyond these, adding articles about different things happening around the world in a subject area or in education can help children in creating a more diverse worldview. Creating a diverse understanding of a subject dramatically increases a student's comprehension of that subject area. The idea that it could make a student a more well rounded and worldly individual is an obvious bonus as well.
After writing this I feel it is only fair to mention I have never given the slightest thought to adding a blog into my classroom setting. But now that I have written it, I think I have just talked myself into it. I can not even talk myself out of it. I just tried to talk myself out of it in fact. It did not work. Yes. I must have one of these for my future classes.

Thing #2

Although I have an impressive collection of books littering virtually every room of my small apartment, I have never read a single blog before. I have never written one either. The fictional fantastical adventures of the characters in my books seem so much more interesting than my own. Who would want to read about my mundane life? Perhaps I will be able to write a perspective that other have not considered on these topics though, and my posts will be able to enrich the learning experience of someone else.
In a flourish of unoriginality, I chose my name for my blog. It was simple and straight to the point, much like the directions for creating the blog. The step by step instructions kept me on task, and provided for a small margin of error. Thank goodness for that, because I don't think I would have been able to figure out how to put my avatar up on my own!
I really enjoyed making my avatar though. It looks a little like me with my haircut and constantly surprised expression. She happens to have better clothes than me though. Choosing the clothes was kind of fun. I would look through and go "Oh! I want to wear that!" and then apply it to my mini-me. It is like an interpretation of how I would dress to best suit my personality. That was my favorite part.

Thing #1

As I venture into another new and exciting experience for me, learning about technology, the act of learning seems particularly worthy of acknowledgement. After all, who of us out there aren't steadily learning new things each semester? What future teacher does not expect to be constantly pursuing and learning new ways of teaching his or her children? For me, part of the joy of being a teacher is that you never have to stop being a student. It is a life-long process dedicated to learning for yourself, and instilling a desire to learn into young minds.
While I like the learning contract that was given by the online tutorial, that does not mean I think it will be easy to accomplish. The habit that I have the best hold on is teaching/mentoring others. I have always found that when you mentor someone, you yourself become more well-versed on the topic simply by finding a way to teach them in a way where they can understand it. Also, it gives you a different perspective in many cases. Those who you mentor or teach often have ideas and thoughts that you may not have considered that can widen your view of any given subject. The habit I have the biggest problem with is probably beginning with an ending in mind. I have always been one to enjoy the journey more than where the roads ends. I do things to the best of my ability, and enjoy the process of doing something challenging, but I do not often keep a long-term outlook on life. Life just seems too short to wait for a moment other than the one happening right now. It must be the hippie in me. I am sure it is something I can do better on eventually though.