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Getting Started...

Welcome!  As part of my Instructional Media class, we have been assigned to create a blog to keep throughout the semester.  It will be interesting to see where this takes us.  To begin, we were asked specific questions to answer.

1. What is digital literacy and why is it important? 
Digital literacy is the skill set you possess to work with (or around) technology.  For some, this may begin with something as simple as "how do I turn this thing on?" and continue to something as complex as creating programming code for a state-of-the-art surgical robot.  As complex machines and computing systems continue to develop, it will become increasingly important to know how to navigate these systems as they are implemented in various areas of everyday life.  Handwritten letters delivered by a mailman are rare anymore.  The bulk of communication in the US happens by text, email, or social media outlets.  Staying connected has never been easier, as long as you possess the digital literacy to navigate the technologies.
2. What should students be able to do with technology?
Students should be able to incorporate technology as an additional layer in their educational toolkit.  They should be able to ask questions of instructors, submit assignments where applicable, and use it as a vehicle for more intuitive learning.  
3. Why is it important for us to use technology in education?
Technology is a permanent part of nearly every industry and specialty.  Students need to be introduced to technology in order to have an understanding of them or deepen understanding of technologies they already know.  In addition to tech exposure, students need to be taught how to use these technologies for good and positive purposes.  
4. What concerns do you have about using technology in education?
I think my biggest concern about using tech in education is making sure I am far enough along in the learning curve of the technology to make sure that I can keep my students (and me) safe.  
5. What is your current stance on the use of technology in education?
I am all for it.  I think that there are very positive outcomes to be had from incorporating technology into the classroom.  So much music is being made digitally now that it is important to understand how to create it, edit it, even learn it in a digital environment.  
6. What are your goals for this course?
My goals for this course are to understand new technologies that are specific to the classroom and how to implement technology that I am already familiar with into my future classroom.  

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