Technology and Teaching: Hand in Hand?

For my CI350 Assignment, I have decided to post a blog on how Entertainment and Education are starting to walk hand in hand when it comes to teaching. You see how entertainment and technology just keeps advancing further and further and further. It seems to be unstoppable. Actually, it kind of is unstoppable if you think about it. Scientists, Engineers, etc, hard at work every single second of the day to bring you the next big break in the technology buisness. It seems to be a neverending cycle. Just when you think they cannot come up with something more clever, well, they do! Just when the world was amazing with the iPod nano, there comes the iPod Touch. Same goes for cellphones, computer programs, music industries, etc. It all goes hand in hand. Now you want to bring teaching and education into the picture and let it walk along with the new big technological breaks that are occuring? Seems like madness maybe? No electronics in a classroom! No cellphones! No laptops! Well, that is all changing right before our very eyes!

In my EDF course, I had to do observastions in a public school classroom. I chose to shadow at my old high school under a very prestigious teacher honored several times for her amazing teaching skills! I felt honored to be doing my teaching observations under her and really felt that she would help me get a true grasp on teaching, one that I needed! What I got was so much more! I was utterly amazed with the amount of technology she used in her every day teaching lesson plans! I mean, this was the same exact high school I went to, with most of the same teachers and even some of the same students I roamed the halls with! Here they were getting up in the middle of class to grab their laptops and use them to type their research papers. I was amazed. I could not believe that this was happening in a classroom. When I was in high school if we would have even attempted to bring out laptops into class we would have been taken to the office, but here these students were using laptops in every day classroom assignments. I was amazed, one again. The way that the teacher intigrated the technology into the lesson plans was truly brilliant! I loved how this new teaching accompanied with techonology was unraveling right before my eyes! Then I thought about how much it was actually helping prepair the students for college and for life after high school!

When I entered into college, I was truly taken aback by some of the things we were required to do! Everything was internet based and technologically based, I was not used to this sort of thing. Here in this high school classroom, however, I watched these high school students do things that I do every day in my college classrooms. I was thinking, wow, this is truly going to help these students more than they can ever imagine! I wish that technology and entertainment would have been so closly woven when I was in high school.

It just goes to show you that anything is possible! With the way that technology and entertainment buisnesses are so rapidly advancing, it is no surprise how it could not be intigrated into a teaching classroom with the students benefits at mind. I am greatly excited to see the future of technology and teaching, because I know that it will truly be one that will blow my mind as well as everyone elses!

You [Can't] Break me Down Anymore

I never asked for this.

I never sit down and thought it through.

I never weighed out the pros & the cons to this situation.

So don't ask me to.

I never prayed for this.

I never got down on my knees beside my bed.

I never called upon the Highest to ask him for a favor.

So don't expect me to.

I never tried for this.

I never moved a muscle or a tendon to try and achieve this advancement.

I never moved an arm or a leg in that very direction.

So don't try to get me to.

I never wanted this.

I never cried over it.

I never begged over it.

So don't ever get me to.

This is not something I ever wanted.

Or ever would want.

Or ever will want.

This is something I will fight until my dying day.

So don't you ever think that you have any power over me.

What was once broken has put itself back together.

Only this time, in a much stronger bond.

I hate to ruin your fun and games.

You can't break me down anymore.

The One Who Would Never Come...

She never invisioned it this way.
Never in a million years did she think it would play out this way.
Brushing her fingers through her dark locks and starring out the window at the pale moon,
She knew it would always be this way and had come to accept.
From one to the next, never having true satisfaction or respect.
As she gazes in the mirror at her dark eyes filled with sadness, she wonders what her father would think of her now?
Dark circles have begun to form and her complexion has drained to a porcelain white.
The nightmares have ended sleep and rest, she has been left alone with herself, her one true enemy.
She laces up her corset, tight enough to slow her breathing and pulls up her black fishnet hose.
She fastens the clips and slips on her crimson stilletos.
She walks to the dresser and picks up her favorite fragrance, lilac mixed with a hint of lemon. She dabs the sent on her neck and tries to cover up the smell of cigarettes and cheap thrills that seems to be embedded into her skin.
She adjusts her black dress that fits as tight as a glove over her curves.
Paints her lips and eyes.
Grabs her bag and walks out the door.
The cab driver gives her that look that every other person gives her, they know where she is going on a night like tonight.
She pays her fee and slams the door in the cab drivers disgusted stare.
She walks into the hotel lobby and tries to put a smile on her face as she heads for the elevator.
Floor 23. Room 315.
As she knocks, she mentally prepares herself for whats to come.
Just another man. Just another rough kiss. Just another strange hand upon her bare flesh.
Just another disgrace. Just another night.
Love was never an opinion in her world. She found black desire and meaningless sex to fill the void.
Her daddys voice rings in her head, all the fairytales he used to read her as a child.
"One day your prince will come", he always said.
As she cries herself to sleep thinking of the one who would never come to save her.

Forever

Give me a little while.
Give me a few days.
Maybe you should just give me a few months?
Give me enough time to sink down to your level.
Sink down to the level to which you reside upon.
Who are you to talk to me?
Who are you to look in my direction?
Who are you to even think of murmuring a 'hello'?
Don't think I can't remember all the pain.
No, it doesn't just go away.
It will always remain.
Like an old black & white picture show.
Placed on repeat for years to come.
Forgiveness only goes so far.
Sorry to say that there is none left for you.
The damage has been done my old friend.
What's left for you to do?
Nothing but sit back and enjoy the show.
For I am the opening act tonight.
Now watch me perform my biggest stunt yet.
Watch me disappear...
Forever.

Through the Looking Glass

There she goes again with her normal everyday rambling.
She hardly ever makes any sense.
She opens her mouth and the words fall out like a bomb dropping from Enola Gay.
Her words form sentences I don't care to listen to...
Seems the more I listen to her rant and rave the more bitter I feel.
The more I hear her speak of the world and it's unfair madness the more depressive I become.
It seems she doesn't really know how to keep quiet.
Her mouth flies open and everything comes out with no reguards.
She is quiet now as she begins to paint her face.
The only time she ever truly looks happy is when she is painting over all her imperfections.
Brush stroke by brush stroke she applies her mask.
Once she is done, she takes one final glance into the mirror and gives herself a half hearted smile.
The smile she gives so often every single day.
I watch her as she slides into her daily attire and adjusts the buttons.
Before walking out the door she turns around to glance at me.
There in the mirror we meet eye to eye...
Like every single day.
She doesn't say anything this time as she stares.
Turns around and leaves to face the world we both know is tearing her apart.

Brick by Boring Brick <3

She lives in the fairy tale Somewhere too far for us to find Forgotten the taste and smell Of the world that she's left behind It's all about the exposure the lens I told her The angles are all wrong now She's ripping wings off of butterflies Keep your feet on the ground When your head's in the clouds Well go get your shovel And we'll dig a deep hole To bury the castle, bury the castle Go get your shovel And we'll dig a deep hole To bury the castle, bury the castle Ba da ba ba da ba ba da So one day he found her crying Coiled up on the dirty ground Her prince finally came to save her And the rest you can figure out But it was a trick And the clock struck 12 Well make sure to build your home brick by boring brick or the wolf's gonna blow it down Keep your feet on the ground When your head's in the clouds Well go get your shovel And we'll dig a deep hole To bury the castle, bury the castle Go get your shovel And we'll dig a deep hole To bury the castle, bury the castle Well you built up a world of magic Because your real life is tragic Yeah you built up a world of magic If it's not real You can't hold it in your hand You can't feel it with your heart And I won't believe it But if it's true You can see it with your eyes Or even in the dark And that's where I want to be, yeah Go get your shovel And we'll dig a deep hole To bury the castle, bury the castle Go get your shovel And we'll dig a deep hole To bury the castle, bury the castle Ba da ba ba da ba ba da...

Searching for Myself <3

I've been traveing this road for a day or so,
maybe even a year or two? Who knows?
Time seems to stand still after so long. Where have I gone?
It feels as if I have been driving for miles on this deserted hardtop.
Will I ever reach the destination or will I hit a dead end.
I've been trying to find her, I know she's out here somewhere!
She took off one day, told me she had had enough!
Packed all her things, headed out the door and was never to be heard from again.
Yet, here I am searching for her.
Sometimes I think I see her, she appears beside me, but only for a split second.
Sometimes I think I hear her voice, loud inside my mind, but only for an instant.
I know if I keep searching, in time, I will find her.
Until then I drive thing long and lonely deserted road searching for Myself.

it's the same routine...

it's the same routine every day...
wake up.
breathe.
think of him.
breathe.
miss his voice.
breathe.
pray for him.
try to dream.
close my eyes.
see his face.
try to survive.

it's the same thing,
every single day.
since he walked out the door.

this house was once full of love.
laughter.
passion.
adventure.
wonder.

no, now this house is filled with sadness.
memories.
regrets.
misery.
loneliness.

as i now lay here in the darkness of the night,
i see his face beside me.
those blue eyes that could always take my breath away.
i see his lips move in for a kiss.
i taste his sweetness.
i hear his whisper in my ear,
"i love you".

but as i open my eyes,
i see nothing but the darkness that now surrounds me.
engulfs my body and drags me under.
he is no longer here.

but i am.
i am here,
left alone.
to remember...
everything.

the alarm clock goes off...
it's the same routine every day...
wake up.
breathe.
think of him.
breathe.
miss his voice.
breathe.
pray for him.
try to dream.
close my eyes.
see his face.
try to survive.

The Truth About The Disney Girls.

First Miley Cyrus,

Now Vanessa Hudgens!

Next it will be Ashley Tisdale!

Whatever the situation,

these girls aren't just possing for racy photos like everyone is viewing it as,

these girls are looking out for themselves and their futures.

Okay, now really, do you think these girls want to be stuck in their Disney rut

for the rest of their lives?!

NO!

They will get older and the Disney audience will not be able to relate to them,

so then what comes next?

These girls don't want to live being known as the goody two shoes on the Disney channel!

No way, no how is that what they want!

They want to advance their careers, even if it means getting naked and taking photos!

They want to appeal to older audiences, specifically males. If they want to go further with their careers, they have to give more than dancing around on the Disney channel!

People act like these girls have committed the biggest crime on the planet and all they did were pose in racy photos. At least for Miley's sake, they were more tasteful than most! Still, people are overreacting a bit to these photos. Sure, it doesn't look good on their now booming Disney career, but later on they will blow up as new sex symbols for their new age groups.

I guess what is even more stupid is the fact that these girls act ashamed and appologize with all of their hearts on how they should not have done it! We learned our lessons! Yea right! Whatever girls, you know exactly why you did it and you are not sorry. They know if it could advance them for the future, they will do it.

Plain and simple.

That's the truth about the Disney girls,

because they won't be Disney girls forever,

and when that day comes, they need something to fall back on.

Life: Take 10?

Have you ever just been sitting and thinking of an old friend?
You think, wow I have not seen them in years!
The next day you are walking down the street, and what do you know?!
You run right into that friend you had just been thinking about.

You sit with a funny thought in the back of your mind.
You think, wow I hope that never happens and you outweigh the possibilities of it ever occurring.
A few days later, guess what?!
It happens! That thing you didn't want to happen just happened.

It kinda makes you sit back and think, hmmmm have I lived this life before?
What if that were true?

What if we are on replay?
What if our life has just been put on "repeat"?
We are born, we live, we die...we are born, we live, we die.

Gives you something to think about.
I think it's funny how these things often occur.
The "so called" Déjà vu, what if it is really because you have lived before and are just re-experiencing it for who knows how many times?!
Sure, everyone says Déjà vu can be explained as being a mythical thing all within your brain, it's complied with dreams, hopes, wants, needs, etc. They just all come together and if your mind when something occurs, you think wow this has happened before, and they want you to believe it's just a coincidence dealing with your brain and all your thoughts.
What if it's not though?
What is Déjà vu, is simply you re-experiencing and experience for the 10th, 30th, 100th time?

Gives you something to think about.

Now I'm not saying this is how I believe,
however, I am also not saying that this doesn't make me think a little differently about the way the life process runs it's course.

No one should every think they have everything figured out.
You never know the truth fully, so why rule out this possibility?

Now it Can Never Haunt her Again...

the blank canvas stood before her,
screaming.
yelling.
starving for attention.

she picked up the brushes and doused them in the many colors of her life.

here goes red,
for all the violence she had experienced,
for all the love she had encountered,
for all the lips she had tasted,
and for all the hearts she had boldly destroyed.

here goes green,
for all the envy she had ever had,
for all the jealousy of the girl next door,
for all the many times she spoke the words,"i want to be her."

here goes yellow,
for all the sunshiny days she spent in a dark cloud,
for all the golden opportunities she let slip through her tiny fingers,
for all the daisies she should have picked.

here goes the orange,
for all the hate she had,
for all the bad things that revolved around her thick and stubborn skull at night,
for all the wrong she had ever committed against the accused.

here goes the blue,
for all her sadness,
for all the nights she slept cold and alone on the bathroom floor,
for all the times she pounded her fists into the wall screaming,
"i swore i'd never let this happen to me!"

here goes the purple,
for all her valiant efforts,
for all the many times she tried with every fiber of her very being,
and for all the many times her face hit the floor in the disapointment that always followed.

here goes the black,
for all her anger,
for all her rage that seemed to fill her thoughts so viciously,
for all the times she sat and stared in rage,
as she let the devil get the best of her.

here it all was,
all right before her very eyes,
in a mixture on what was the blank canvas,
was now her masterpiece of all that possesed her,
inside and out.
of all the good
and of all the bad.
of all the has beens
and of all the could haves.
of all the tears
and of all the laughs.
of all the loneliness,
and of all the happiness.

here it was before her.
brought out of her body
and onto the canvas.

now it can never haunt her again.