Personal Learning Network

PHYSICAL EDUCATION PLANNER

TEACHING BALL SKILLS

HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION

EUROPEAN FUTBOL


I found my Personal Learning Networks on youtube. I found it easier to join these groups and thought it would be more beneficial as a PE teacher to be able to see information rather than just read it. There is a lot of valuable information that I found and can continue to find on my PLN. The videos are simple and easy to understand. I subscribed to each of the users and their network. My user name in (Gr8s). All of my networks are linked to my email so I can receive frequent updates on comments and new videos and information. I know that the PLN's will pay off in the long run as more users and visitors will comment and share their ideas as well. I see the value and benefits in being a part of a Personal Learning Network.

At the teacher"s Desk

I recently visited the teacher's desk and read some of the blogs there. Some of these blogs had a great message and some valuable information. I was really surprised in reading the Scary Statistics blog. I thought the hidden message in the blog was that when we compare genders, boys are much more "troubled" than girls. The Fundred Project is a very creative way to get students interested in joining a movement to clean up portions of the city of New Orleans. It focuses on cleaning up contaminated soil and having it removed. It was creative and very simple to understand. The project involved getting Congress to help fund its efforts. I did read the blog about teachers needing to be social networking experts. It was ok, but I am not sold on the idea of teachers needing it as an actual teaching tool.

The blog on Skype and using it to connect classrooms was by far more educational than any of the others I read. It was very explanatory and simple to understand. The blog stated why the class used the skype technology and even explained what equipment and tools were needed. I like this because it allows you to understand what they are doing and how they did it. The one I didn't enjoy as much was Getting over it. I understood it but it didn't serve any educational purpose for me. I think the information was boring and that it really had no effect on me whatsoever.

Commen4kkids project 3 Mrs Goerend;s Class

I visited the blog page of Mrs. Goerend's sixth grade class and read the blog of a student named Taelor. Taelor wrote about a chemistry experiment in which his/ her's group was to separate molecules through watermarking. It sounded like they were really excited when doing the experiment and having a lot of fun. They separated the colors and explained in good detail how they came to their conclusion. I encouraged Taelor to continue to be enthusiastic towards learning, explaining that it will make learning a lot easier. Finally, I challenged Taelor to encourage others in the class to do the same.

Michael Wesch- Toward a New Future or Whatever

This video of Michael Wesch discusses the evolution of technology and how it has changed our lives forever. He begins by talking about the "cable" boom in the 80's and how it has affected us in terms of entertaining ourselves. He goes on to talk about the 90's where he shows the a clip from the Simpson's which became a huge hit. He also hits on the Real World to the American Idol phenomenon. He focuses on the evolution of the use of the term "whatever", which has transcended time and came up any many other instances. He explains that our society is becoming more narcisistic. "Media", he explains, "is controlled by a few and affects the masses". In the exploration of media, Michael thinks that new media, such as youtube, will allow us to discover ourselves in a different and more enlightening way.

My reaction to this video is that I really don't see the point of this video. He brings up important points in which I mentioned in the previous paragraph, but of what relevance does it have on the average person or educator. As a teacher, I'm not sure how this information will benefit me. The only positive that I can draw for me personally is that I know now that 20 million videos are uploaded to youtube a day. Thats a lot of videos. As I learned on earlier assignment, there are some very good information on youtube. The other things he talked, absolutely bore me and is irrelevant to me at this point. Sorry to be so harsh Michael.

Why publish kids' work to the web?

In my opinion there are many reasons why kids' work should be published to the web. This video located on Dr. John Strange's blog is an exceptional reason why. The kids in PS22's chorus sing with so much emotion and passion that it causes you to wonder why. There's a simple reason in my opinion, and that is they want to be heard and recognized. It's an awesome tribute to Fleetwood Mac. Even Stevie Nicks was moved and touch by their performance.

Other reasons why kids' work should be published to the web is because it exposes an unlimited amount of learning opportunities. One thing comes to mind is the Personal Learning Networks in which our class has an assignment. It allows teachers and students to learn from one another and to inspire one another. It also makes learning active and creative. Not that it already isn't in traditional classrooms, but kids get excited about technology and all that it has to offer.

A..C.C.E.S.S.

In addition to ALEX, there is another resourceful tool provided by the state of Alabama's Department of Education. That program is called ACCESS, short for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators & Students Statewide. The program is categorized as a distant learning program, which differentiates it from ALEX. Distant Learning allow teachers and students to take classes that would otherwise be unavailable or too difficult to take in their area.

I believe these sites are very worthy in their approach to providing educational opportunities and literature for students and teachers. There is so much information available to us that allow this to be possible. Distant learning is quickly becoming one of the fastest forms of education in history. Some great examples would be the explosion of online colleges such as Phoenix.

A.L.E.X.

Thanks to Ms. Averitt in my Educational Media class at the University of South Alabama, I was introduced to a program that is provided by the state of Alabama to assist teachers in and out of the classroom. ALEX, which stands for Alabama Learning Exchange, provides a multitude of information for teachers and potential teachers. The information provided ranges from lesson plans to to professional learning opportunities.

This is a great tool to expand learning and to study different ways of preparing lessons. The lessons plans are standard and very easy to adapt into a potential teacher's lesson. In this new age of technology where information can be shared at an exponential rate, it is important for educators to continue to expand the classroom and make learning possible for everyone.

Comment4Kids 2

This week I visited the blog site of Jormar. He is a student at Woodtech Valley. Jormar had great graphics on his page and is very interested in video games. He is especially interested in World of War Craft. Its a first person game on the Sony Playstation series. I recommended to him that he look into this site to find deals on games such as War Craft.

Comment4kids

I recently visited Mr. Goerend's blog and came away very impressed at his efforts to bring positive writing experiences into the lives of his students. It's an excellent way to encourage and teach students about the learning process. Most importantly, I feel that showing them that there is learning outside the classroom lays a foundation that can be expanded upon. I visited 5 of his students' blogs and commented on them. In the next paragraph is a summary of what I found.

I visited a blog entitled " National Giraffe Day" written by Cassie. It was very funny and it informed me about a tradition that took place in Greenland. It brightened my day! Next, I read "international act like you have a muscle spasm day". This was written by a student named Zach. I can tell that he has a vivid imagination and really enjoys making others feel good about themselves. I then read Brandon's blog on "Tubing". It was a detailed writing of his experience tubing this past summer. It made me think about my days tubing as well. "The Waukee Ankney Game" was an exciting piece by Zach S. He has some potential to be a good writer. I let him know that in my comments to him. Lastly, I read Aaron's blog post about " Jacob and the 4th" He seemed like a really good freind to Aaron, so I encouraged him to value their friendship and the time they spent together.

Comment4kids is a great way to show supprt for students as they continue to explore the world as we know it.

Dear Kaia: Voice Thread and Video

The blog started by Kaia's father started out as a simple project designed to capture his daughter's experience of exploring her surrounding. He wanted her to spend more time outside after he began reading a book called A Child Left in the Woods. What started out as a simple blog turned into an experience that would soon affect hundreds, even thousands of those who came in contact with Mr. Chamberlain's class blog. Kaia's dad received a few comments from Chamberlain's class and decided he would contact them to further their interest. Mr. Chamberlain's class soon made a video blog and audio to let Kaia know of their appreciation for her work. Kaia was only three years old at the time.

My initial reaction is that I see this as another excellent way of technology being used in a way that furthers the education of this generation. It is pretty extraordinary that this is possible and that there are millions of people who are using this technology. My concerns though, would be that I 'm not sure if its a great idea to live our lives online. I am a big proponent of technology and its usefulness to us. But, what I am against is having our lives being totally open for the world to see and use at its disposal. I do understand the a majority of us will use this as an educational experience, but I am reminded that everyone doesn't have this in mind. Once again, I applaud Mr. Chamberlain and his class for their efforts and contributions. I especially think the same of Kaia and her father.

The New Media Literacies Project

In my efforts to look up information on this topic, I realized that there were countless "projects" that were part of the New Media Literacies title. My finds are that NML is an organization that provides a community network for learning about effective ways of using 21st century media tools. It promotes the use and integration of media into our everyday lives. NML has been a part of hundreds of projects involving higher education and studying such things as texting.

One of the interesting things I found out about NLM is that it produces movies or short clips on a variety of title. This was the most interesting thing about the group. These movies are used to educate the general public and to saturate the public with the skills necessary to become a working part of NML. Overall, I think it is a good source, nevertheless, it will probably never be of use to me.

The New Media Literacies by the NLM Staff

The New Media Literacies video on youtube was about the skills required to be a functional citizen in the 21st century. It takes a look at what we need to know in order to possess certain skills in order to be successful. I apparently didn't get much of the point of this video as it seems to a small part of what I have already learned in Ms. Averitt's EDM 310 class.

I don't agree that the skills mentioned (judgement, negotiation,appropriation, play,transmedia investigation, simulation, collective intelligence, performance, distributed cognition, visualization, multitasking) are the ones of the 21st century that we need to be successful workers, artists, or citizens. Instead, I think this may be useful for educational purposes, but not for those who do not fit the criteria for post secondary study. More important skills such as adaptability and motivational skills are required by the "other" workers or citizens.

I possess some of the skills, but I do not neccessarily use them in the manner of the video. Of the ones I possess are judgement, negotiation, simulation, collective intelligence, performance, visualization, and multitasking. How do I plan to attain the others? I don't understand the full capacity of them, therefore, I'm not sure that I would actually need them. But I assume I do need them, so I would say that the way I intend to attain them is by studying more about the New Media Literacies Project and finding out how I can practice these skills.

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler

I was glad to see this video by Wendy Drexler. It was very simple and productive because it explained everything one would need to know about starting a personal learning network. The idea of connectivism uses a network of people who together create a learning community who helps shape their learning process. I can see where this can be very productive for teachers.

The is more valuable information on connectivism on this blog. It is Wendy Drexler's blog site. I am not ready to be a teacher of network student, but I am really interested in learning about being a student of the network. What better way to learn how to be a teacher than learning it as a student. I am hopeful that once I am familiar with being a network student, I can share my knowledge with others and one day become a teacher of a network student.

Why does the networked student even need a network teacher? The obvious reason would be that the networked student needs guidance. As explained in the video, the teacher needs to be there for a number of reasons. The teacher can be a learning architect, which will help shape the student into a productive network participant. Also, the teacher can server as a modeler, or someone whom they can model their ideas and work after. Lastly, the teacher is the one who provides learning opportunities and build the learning network.

Richard Miller: This is How We Dream

Dr. Richard Miller's video was interesting in a couple of ways. I think that it was captivating from a standpoint of giving a glimpse of future technology and its possibilities in the classroom. Also, I thought it was interesting because of his ability to dream that one day this technology will be available and he thought that we should be the ones who prefects it and use it. For someone interested in this level of teaching, it would be very beneficial. On an overall basis, I didn't get much from the videos for my personal gain or use.

Am I prepared to write in multimedia? I would have to answer that with an emphatic no. Although interesting, I didn't understand much of the "how" to write in multimedia. I saw some really good examples of multimedia pages and so on, but there was never a time that I thought directions or steps were being explained. It may be an easy process if the video were more details on the "how: and not so much as the "why".

Will my students be able to do this? With this age of technology and today's student, I would say yes. Many students are ready in most cases to take on a task as of this nature. My only problem would be that I wouldn't necessarily know how to teach a lesson of this sort. I would think this is a college level activity or an AP class on the high school level. It does continue a trend that seems to be everywhere. That theme is using technology to advance and equip the next generation of learners.

Duke University's use of Ipods

The use of Ipods as a classroom may be hard to imagine right now.

iTunes University

With the discovery of itunes comes a wealth of features and incredible opportunity. Itunes is an online library of music, video, podcasts, and vodcasts. At your finger tips, you have access to millions of these features. If you want to carry your information with you, you can sync your itunes library to your ipod, iphone, or mac. Go to iTunes for more information.

One important feature that enhances education on itunes is Itunes University. This feature gives you access to a university's online library of podcast, vodcasts, and other media. One of the featured universities is Duke University. Itunes has made it possible to expand the classroom and by using a tool that is currently one of the most used applications of this generation. Soon, students from all universities will be using Itunes as part of their curriculum. Furthermore, teachers can use this as part of the curriculum in intermediate and high school.

Dr. Alice Christie's Google Earth Guide

The Google Earth Program Guide created by Dr. Alice Christie has revolutionized the approach to 3-D technology. This can be a valuable tool to many teachers in many different ways. One tool of value that I think teachers can easily adapt to and present to their class is the Google Earth Measuring Tool. This is a simple function of the Google Earth Program that allows it users to measure certain features of the earth. Even if a teacher, or school district can not afford to purchase the Google Earth Pro, which is an advanced edition with more features, they can apply for a free Google Earth Grant.

There are tutorials that walk you through Google Earth step by step. This is the beauty of the resource guide. It makes what was once information that was available to a few, to information that is available to anyone. I think one of the more popular sections of Google Earth is Google Earth for Educators. Here, educators will find unlimited access to information which allows them to be more proficient in teaching lessons involving Google Earth. I think the program is a must in Geography or any other physical science class.

"What I've learned this year" by Mr. McClung

The author of this blog, Mr. McClung gave a great insight on his experience as a first year teacher. He demonstrates the humility and courage that teachers in this age must embrace in order to become a successful teacher. There are some very important highlights that had a tremendous effect on me as an educator and an individual. I'll begin with teachers must learn to listen to their students. As he mentioned, students really appreciate that quality in a teacher. Also, teachers must be willing to form relationships with their students. I myself believe that this is critical to gaining their trust and respect which often makes teaching them and learning from them a bit easier and productive. He makes a great point about teachers must be willing to continue to learn. As we have heard several times before, if we aren't willing to learn in an environment in which we encourage students to learn, we simply won't be good teachers. The most important thing I came away with after reading his blog was the fact that he seemed to really enjoy teaching and learning from his students.

NPR Blog on Wickipedia

I think wickipedia is a good source for information but I worry that there is too much information that can be altered or simply inaccurate. Virgil Griffith, who created the wiki scanner had a great idea in mind when he created it. However, there are two many loop holes in the system that allow users to manipulate wickipedia. Whether a user does the updating of information from a public or private IP address is non-standing. If one is seeking to present information that is misleading it can simply access wickipedia from any IP other than the one that they are responsible for. The scanner, will help with the casual use of wickipedia, but those who have vested interest can use multiple sources to update their information. I conclude that this will not result in wockipedia being more reliable. In the end, it will not be a reliable online encyclopedia, but another site with too much information to determine what is accurate.

The Last Lecture: Randy Pausch

Though a strange and funny character, Randy Pausch had some great points in details of this video. Early on, I found it somewhat interesting, as he gave background information on himself to better familiarize the audience of who he is. This I found boring. But, as he went on he had some relative points towards education in which I will share on. Not all of the information obtained through watching is of use to me as a prospective teacher, but it does pertain to in some part of our everyday living. Overall, this video was ok, but I liked some of our previous ones better. Randy {ausch has left a legacy that we all can look to for inspiration to always give your best.

I liked the idea that there were people in his life that really shaped who he became. One was his high school football, Jim Graham. Coach Graham was noted as teaching Randy that " when everything you're doing is wrong and no one notices, is not a good thing". To me that translates into no one cares. I believe it is important to work with people who care. He clearly demonstrates this by the numerous people that he influenced, such as Dennis, who now oversees the Alice Project. He clearly exemplifies the traits of caring because he has invested his life in helping others along the way.

He definitely was a person who has experienced a lifetime of achievements in his career. His willingness to share them allow other people to better themselves. I like his desire to share his experiences with others. Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. That is an awesome statement that allows a person to be reflective of their choices. His statements on legacy are admirable and understandable. Each person should leave their legacy or work with someone who is better than they are. That way you know your legacy is safe.

The best thing that this video did for me was that it gave me the desire to be reflective. There were so many tips on being a good worker, or a hard worker. One of things that influenced me the most was the "head fake". The best way to teach someone is to make them believe they are learning something else. Its a great way to keep kids engaged in interested in learning. Randy Pausch made me realize that I can achieve my goals if I'm patient, work harder, and treat others earnestly along the way.

Its Not About The Technology

Mrs. Hines article on technology was very useful in explaining that our technology is useless without innovative teachers who are motivated to learn. I agree. I think we put so much emphasis on technology that we forget that we need to be responsible for learning. Two things stood out to me in the article. First, teachers need to be motivated to learn and not just simply be a "teacher". Second, we must continually update our knowledge and practices to keep up with the advancements of our age to fully be effective.

If teachers simply stop learning themselves, how would they be able to teach the next generation of aspiring students. I like the fact that Mrs. Hines doesn't ignore the fact that the technology is very useful and productive. But she also states that without proper training, and more importantly, motivation, it is useless to an extent. Teachers must continue to face the challenges of teaching themselves to be learners of the new age.

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today

What a great video. Mr. Wesch really captured my attention with this video. It really summarizes my undergraduate college experience. It made me re-think my view on teaching and learning on the college and high school level. I thought it highlighted a lot of short falls in our current education system. It urges that if we don't change or adapt, we could find ourselves lost in technology.

I liked the video so much that I don't think I would do anything to change it. I like the use of "no talking" during the video. That makes the person that is watching pay close attention. The different methods of communicating was great, and using different people in the classroom was good too. There is so much in this video that was done right that its hard to say I would change it, or do better.

Plagiarism and Copyrighting Laws

The information on plagiarism was very helpful and insightful from all three sights. Some of the information I already knew, but a great majority was new to me. I didn't realize there were so many forms of plagiarism, but I understand the severity of its consequences. I now understand why it is taken so serious and why I should be cautious whenever I may be in jeopardy of committing it. I am comfortable, that after visiting these websites, that I can perform at the best of my ability not only by avoiding plagiarism, but by successfully siting sources which can help increase my credibility amongst my audience. I know that it should be taken seriously, and that we should always properly site sources.

Copyright laws help protect the use of illegally reproducing original work. There are several amendments to the original copyright laws of of the United States. Most of these amendments apply to different phases of technology and development. Over time, there has been so many discoveries that there has to be current and up to date copyright laws to protect them. Such laws and amendments, in my opinion, help protect corporations and individuals from illegal use of their property, without permission. Copyright laws are important to the welfare of technological advancements and those to come.

Lets Tech Talk: Accessibility for All Presentation

Dr. Sullivan did a great job on informing the laws and regulations as it pertains to web access. The slide show was evidently the biggest help to me as it was simple and straight to the point. His emphasis on the different categories of providing web access to all was key to me understanding why it is necessary. He even listed the laws that were passed, along with the year, and explaining why we need these laws. I think is implying that everyone is equal and everyone should have the same access to the service that are provided throughout the internet. Over, Dr. Sullivan really helped me understand the significance of such laws and made me aware of so much more.

The only thing that I would add that it would be nice to here Dr. Sullivan speak on the topic. I'm sure it would have been even better. Other than that, there isn't anything else that I can say I would like to see done differently.

Langwitches log

There isn't a lot of good that I took from this material. This blog is way too confusing for someone who is just beginning to blog and hadn't made their first podcast. I understand the material from a standpoint of knowing what its purpose is, but I have no idea how to use it. The information provided is wonderful, but with no real sense of direction, it's more of a matter of confusion to me. I'm not sure what the real purpose of this blog.

What can I do to make this better? What would I do different? If I couldn't provide answers in the top portion of this blog, I surely won't have have anything of educational value to put here. But, since i am suppose to, I will try. There are too many links on this blog with too less explanations of what their purpose is. There aren't any instructions so I assume this is a little advanced for me. I'm not intimidated, just more of a loss of words for what it all means to me.

The use of ITunes in Education

I really enjoyed this video/ podcast from a standpoint of learning the basics about the use of ITunes. As a new user of the service, it has really helped me in getting started with it features and abilities. You can find the video podcast here. They were very clear on instructions and were very well prepared. Owen probably talked too much, so it seemed as if Rosa and Angel didn't get to say enough. Rosa appeared to be the best speaker in my opinion. Angel could have used a little more practice on her lines. Overall, I though they still did a good job on the topic.

Now that I am learning about doing podcasts and videocasts, there are a few things that I would do differently to make it better. First, I would let the best speaker be the main speaker. I think this would keep the potential listeners engaged. There also needs to be a little more energy in their voices. Everyone seemed a little flat on the vocal side of things. The last thing i would add is that the sound quality was distorted at times. So I would make sure that there is consistency with voice pitch and tone.

Teachers teaching Teachers

This is becoming an increasingly popular way to share information among teachers. I thought they did a good job of speaking about ways to share information among peers. The sound quality wasn't the best, but the information being shared was valuable enough to keep me engaged. I think the speaker definitely made a connection with the audience because it allows input prospective teachers which creates a direct learning tool.

Teaching with Smart Board

From the start of this podcast, I was totally lost. Even thought the information was simple, I experienced an "information overload". The information is useful if watched a second time. I thought most of the information was too continuous and often over-lapped. Though the speaker flowed well through conversation, it could still be a little confusing. On a positive note, it was well rehearsed noting that it was well prepared. I definitely like the preparation, but too much information lost me.

Kidcast

This was extremely beneficial to me. The tools used had a direct affect because it was informative and engaging. I learned how to download and upload data through podcasts. Even though the information was a bit over my head, it shared ways on how to integrate the use of ipods in the classroom. The language was clear and precise, very straight to the point.

This week in photography

This podcast had amazing picture quality. The photography displayed was high in quality and the sound was crystal clear. The speakers did a good job of relaying the information and transitioning between topics. There were two important things that I took from this podcast. First, the speakers seemed very relaxed and comfortable with the format of the podcast. Second, They laughed often, making it enjoyable while they seemed to have a great time sharing the information.

Next Generation Learning Thoughts

The technology age has definitely brought to light some key questions for the current education system to answer. One such question is: Can we education catch up to technology's advances and improvements? I answer that we a resounding "yes", but there are difficult challenges that lies ahead. How do we fund such an interest when we can't fund the current system properly. Teachers who have been teaching for 20 years or so may be reluctant to switch from books, pencils, and papers. It seems in this case though, that our problem will always be funding, or money for better use of terms. t discourages me to see our education system in ruins, while technology continues to grow and expose such a gap that I fear it may be too late to close.

On the other hand, some systems have flourished using this approach and using the technology that is available to all of us. I-pods, I-phones, and laptops are a common thing to most children. We must find ways to incorporate these tools in to our everyday educating of our young minds. Gone are the days of note-taking and homework. We must now move toward the wave of the future which is technology, used properly of course. Students today and tomorrow will be better equipped for the jobs of the future if they are prepared for the future, rather than the now. As shown in a portion of the video, the classroom doesn't have to be in the schools alone, they can be anywhere.

Technology Advances- Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis' ability to teach and learn is a great example of how teachers should teach. Her class seems diverse in her efforts to give students numerous ways to learn and experience new things while doing it in the comfort of classrooms. I think it is a great way to expand education while also preserving the future by being on the cutting edge of technology. Teachers like Vicki Davis are of extreme importance to our continued development of our education system. She has taken what students today are really interested in, and converted it into a worldwide classroom. Just 10 years ago, such ways of teaching were obsolete or very few. I think that in a few short years, a majority of classrooms will be moving towards this format.

One of the strengths that I noticed in the clip is that Vicki Davis empowers her students to learn. She does this by allowing them to share information, worldwide, while teaching even her some important lessons along the way. By doing this, it seems her student have a tremendous amount of gratitude and fondness for her and her class. They are really engaged and very interested in the learning process, which in most cases, goes against the norm in our current education system. From what I gathered, if we empower students, it makes for a productive foundation on which to teach.

Sir Ken Robinson thoughts

Sir Ken Robinson is an interesting figure in expressing how we should look at the way we our educating our children. I thoroughly enjoyed his thoughts and insight into this topic. He is true when he states that our current education system doesn't care what you're good at. It brings me to think what is the purpose of our public education system? Is it simply to produce university professors, as he states during his speech? If our education system only produces "academic ability", what about those who have talents such as Jillian?

I agree with Robinson on his thoughts of educating the "whole being." Too often, educators look to exclude irrational behavior rather than include it as a part of the total being. This really opened my eyes to educating the person and not who we want that person to be. The example of Jillian, who presumably was ADHD, to be written off by her teacher, then to be found to be totally gifted in dancing happens more often that I can imagine. How many children have we, the public education, turned away and sent on a path of failure. Again, we must, in his words, harness the gift of human imagination. If we don't, I'm afraid we will continue to slip into set a trend of going backwards. If we are teaching kids that being wrong is bad, then we are not allowing them to be creative.

Did You Know 3.0

While watching this video, I could not help but go into information overload! And then it hit me, our society has become solely dependent on this information age we're in. It is apparent that technology affect everything we do. Not only that, it continues to grow at an exponential rate. I can hardly imagine the idea of what technological advances will be discovered or created in the 5 years. Everything is connected to computers and technology. It leads me to ask is there anything that isn't connected.

After gathering my thoughts of disbelief and amazement I came to the realization that technology somehow frightens me. Not in a creepy way, but in an "atom bomb" kind of way. It would definitely explain my inability to identify such things like i-phones and the social blog networks. On the other hand, some great things have come about through technology that I realize is a direct result from its advances. I'll reserve my verdict for now, hopefully this class will provide much more insight on how it will help me in my profession.

Who Am I?

This is my very first blog! My name is Ricky Ruffin. I am a 2003 graduate of USA (B.S. Sports Management). As of now, I am pursuing my bachelor of science certification in Physical Education. I have lived in Mobile since 1995, moving from a small rural town in west Alabama. I am the fourth of five siblings and the youngest male. Living on the coast, I enjoy the typical outdoor activities such as the beach, golfing, jogging and so forth. I have a dog named Max. He's a full blooded, chocolate labrador retriever. I decided to return to school so I could further my education and most importantly put myelf in a position professionally that will be a bit more rewarding.

I currently teach at Mobile Christian School. It's a great school and this will make my third year there. My job description there involves many facets of the athletic program. I am a varsity assistant football coach, head junior varsity basketball coach, and head track and field coach. Last year the boys' team captured the 2A State Championship. Also, I direct the school's elementary developmental basketball leagues which involves boys and girls in grades 2nd-6th.
Finally, in my spare time I am an Alabama High School Athletic Association official during the basketball season. As you can see, it seems I am a very busy person. It all comes together to create a truly fulfilling experience. I love sports, and I love to direct children. I know this class will only enhance my abilities to continue to do what I love.