Timidly going where many have gone before...

My dearest readers (my wife, my sister and my mother),

This blog is meant to be a retreat for technology-inclined individuals who have invariably found themselves in the classroom on a daily basis (or aspire to do so). Each post will take a look at either a new form of technology I am attempting to apply in my own classroom, or some major event in the world of instructional technology. I hope that this blog is not only informative, but inspiring as well.

Just today, as I was moving my classroom from one building to another (it's a long story), a, um.... *ahem* veteran teacher was expressing his dismay at the concept of a Mimio. It wasn't that the Mimio was an inferior product to some other form of technology (perhaps a Mobi or SmartBoard) which he preferred, it was the integration of technology as a concept which he seemed to be dismayed at. While I had always known that some teachers were initially reluctant to apply new strategies in their classroom and that others had never been properly trained in the usage of new technologies, I was bewildered that this teacher was so adamantly anti-technology. Ah well, hopefully the strategies and instructions I provide in this blog will help to win instructional and social technology some converts. If not, I'm sure that the upcoming performance evaluations will force many peoples' hands.

A point of clarification before we begin, please. I am fully aware that many will take exception with the manner in which I employ the term, "technology." As defined by dictionary.com (a useful tool we should take a look at in due time), technology is "the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science and pure science" (See it here). This puts A LOT of options into our wheelhouse. For the most part, this blog will cover technologies applicable to the daily life of a classroom teacher. This can include social media (such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapfish, Tumblr, etc.) as well as instructional tools (such as the MOBI, Mimio, SmartBoard, ELMO, LeapFrog, etc.), alongside new gadgets and their applications (such as the iPad, iPod, iPhone, Android phones and tablets, Nook, Kindle, etc.). If it plugs into a wall to charge and can be applied effectively in the classroom, this blog will do its best to cover the best pedagogical techniques to enhance your class.

Sincerely,

Alexandre Le D'Ford