Moving into the next era

 Have some challenges in store as one job ends and hopefully another begins. It has been very rigorous just getting all my things in order to pursue a dream of being the best educator without sacrificing honor and humanity.
 Have been talking a bit about the intersection of technology and art and science, as witnessed by many of the most impressive applications to date.
The i-phone has changed many people's lives in a way that is surprising. I have owned mine for about a year now and use it constantly. I no longer find it odd to see people staring at and talking to their devices. It is a lifeline to the internet and to being connected to things that are important in daily life. Navigating whether geographically or otherwise, time management with the calendars, and alerts to remind us of the appointments we've made - all very helpful tools.
I love the way we can listen to music for free, charge our phone in the car and write notes while waiting in the doctor's office. Facebook is there for a quick check on the family and is very entertaining and fulfilling. The camera is awesome for capturng the moments either for practical or sentimental reasons. Very cool.

recent developments

Since learning is on a continuum, as witnessed by our parents (who are in their 80's)when they post on Facebook, or use texting on their i-phones, not to mention all the apps such as GPS, it is clear that this educational technology foundation was the beginning of a long adventure. Schools are slowly adapting some of the best ideas but have so many financial restrictions, that it is going to be an uphill climb for all classrooms to become digitized.
This year in our elementary school, I noticed a few "mimeoboards" being introduced, and the MIST application offered to students for the CMT's. We are told that all of the testing will soon be done online, that our classrooms will all be wireless, and that all teachers will get SMARTboards. Having used this technology in higher ed, I am hopeful for the elementary schools, because it opens up worlds of learning and networking. However, the budgetary struggles may prevent these advances in technology for most schools.