It is April. I am mid-way through my teaching program. I am as excited about teaching as I hoped I would be. I am spending the school year with junior and senior high school students. Each day we jointly approach the lesson plans with energy and wonder. I am amazed each day at the new ideas and fresh perspectives the students bring to their assignments. We have covered many topics together. The topics include International trade and International economies. We also covered a personal finance curriculum. I look forward to the remainder of the year and am sure it will be as productive, interesting and exciting as the year to date.

Post number 3. Posting number 1 seems so long ago. And yet it wasn't. Anyway...this is the wrap up of the first courses. Technology Ed. I learn technology in spurts. Some days I feel like I am on a river moving rapidly downstream getting to where I want to go. Other days I feel like I am gasping for air going up a steep mountain. It feels good when you "get it to work". But I don't always remember tomorrow what I did yesterday. I think this is a good definition of technology. I am going to write Merriam Webster and ask their editors if they will add this sentence to their definition of technology.

Technology is also like tumbling in PE. When ever I tried a forward roll in tumbling I often rolled off the mat. Creating power points and web sites, once I hit save and looked at the results, sometimes I had rolled off the mat. Thank goodness for friends around me who helped me up so I could try again.

All seems in good shape for this first phase. As I close this journal entry, I realize I know what I did learn...it comes through in the documents I finished. But I am sure I learned more besides. And that info will come through at unexpected moments...and continue to carry me to unexpected places. How fun.

Today is Sunday. I am working on all of my MAT assignments. One of the assignments is to add to my blog page. So here is the entry.

Education is the word for today. Technology is the skill. How can technology enhance education. Do we teach technology or do we teach through technology? Good question.

I think we do both. I think as teachers we strive to learn technology to make instruction more interesting. That is the nugget. What in technology makes the presentation more interesting. It is the glitzy power point. The snappy jingle. Or is it the learned instruction from the teacher. I think the glitz catches the students eye. The learned instruction keeps them involved.

Teaching technology, we do that directly and indirectly. Directly through hands on instruction. Indirectly by using technology in our presentations and communications. Scary, huh. We sometimes teach without realizing it is teaching.

Off to other classes, using technology to write and post papers. Carpe diem!

Today is the first day I am posting to my blog. In fact, this is the first time I have posted to any blog. I have created this blog because it is an assignment for the teaching program I am taking at Southern Oregon University. I am excited to be learning about blogs. I have no idea where the conversations will lead to...but that is part of the fun.

My hope is to be a business teacher in high school. Business classes often are not encountered until college. Many individuals start businesses while still in high school. I hope I can be involved in classes to help individuals be financially successful in creating their dreams. I have ideas of my own to share. But I would really like to hear from people what they would like to learn. Hopefully people will write on this blog what they would like to listen to in a classroom.

So, send your ideas. Looking forward to hearing from you.