I've been using Pandora during my classes for a while, but I've only used in on my phone.  I plug my phone in to the stereo in the gym or weight room and play my student's favorite music (usually One Direction, unfortunately!) Their energy level doubles instantly.  I've haven't used it on my computer before, but now I'm jammin' to Journey while I"m doing my assignments and it's great!  I'm a firm believer in using music to improve anyone's mood and create a great, positive learning environment. Who doesn't love music?? 

I found the article "Generation Always-On" to be very interesting.  I struggle on a daily basis with the idea that my students have such a diffent environment than I did when I was in school.  I go back and forth between seeing the positive and negaitves in the amount of technology they are exposed to.  As a physical educator and personal trainer I see mostly the negative.  I cringe at the thought of how much time kids spend sitting on thier butts, looking at a screen.

It's become more challenging to motivate students over the years because I feel like I'm constantly competing with technology.  I have a difficult time getting students, athletes, and/or clients to achieve and appreciate the gratification that a killer workout can give a person.  I want for them to feel what physically hard work can do for their self confidence, and how it carries over into the rest of their lives. 

The combination of the decreasing amount of physical education students receive and the constant stream of information they are receiving from tv, video games, and social media, creates a constant up-hill battle to instill the value of exercise.  I believe students benefit greatly from the amount of information that is available to them today, however I also want students to see the value in un-plugging from their virtual world and learn how to live in the real world.

Generation Always-On
http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Note.aspx?id=958393

I had no idea something like this existed... It was fun to play around and create a photo, but I'm not sure how often I would use this.  As I try these new sites I'm learining more about what's out there and how to navigate my way around social media, which I find valuable.  I'm not a person that can sit still for any amount of time, so spending my time alteing photos is probably not in my future, but I do appreciate the value in knowing how to use these sites.

I decided to use flicker, but I certainly don't feel like I have it figured out.  I'm feeling like I have a lot of pictures in a lot of differnt places now. I'm having a difficult time keeping everything straight. :)  I hope to get better with some of these sites so it won't feel like so much work.

The article Social Networking in Higher Education by Nicole A. Buzzeto-More is an interesting overview of how social networking has exploded in our recent history.  It emphasizes ways that we, as educators, can use that information in positive ways in our classrooms.  When I think of using of social networking in my classroom, I feel intimidated and overwhelmed.  I did not have exposure to a lot of technology being used in the classroom during my experience in higher education.  It was not a part of my undergraduate or graduate program.  My first experience with Facebook has been during this class.  I was intrigued by the information in the article because I know this is how my students are interacting now and would benefit from more technology being incorporated into their education. 

I'm not familiar with Blackboard, but the article made me want to do some research on this tool as well as others.  As stated in the article, "Blackboard is an instructor designed and managed system representing a fairly controlled environment that lends a certain formality to all behaviors occurring within the system" (p. 70). I feel this might be a manageable tool for me to consider as a way to communicate information to my students. 

Buzzeto-More states "the idea that "membership in positive social networks can help teach learners trust, tolerance, acceptance, and collaboration" (p. 66).  This caught my attention.  The idea of building student's self confidence and helping them to feel empowered is a crucial part of what I focus on in physical education.  I hadn't thought of the contribution social networking plays in developing these strengths.

As an educator, I am always trying to find new ways to reach my student and I agree that technology is an effective way to do this.  I believe, however, there needs to be a balance between using technology in the classroom and teaching through direct interactions.  I fear that our students will become more and more detached from the "real world" as they interact more through technology.  I believe we can find an effective combination that supports providing information through technology as well as fosters personal relationships.

Buzzetto-More, N. A. (2012). Social Networking in Undergraduate Education. Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management, 7

The article by Williams and Jacobs (2004) is an overview of how blogging evolved and how it can be useful today in education. As I read the article I had my own classes in the back of my mind and I tried to find ways I could use blogging with my students.  The data that Williams and Jacobs (2004) cited showed that students found blogging as a useful tool in the educational process, however they were college students.  I teach junior high students, and I believe it would need to be done as a guided practice in order for it to be effective. I see blogging as a way for people to share their thoughts and opinions on various topics, which is something my students love to do.  It seems like a perfect fit.
Williams and Jacobs (2004) also emphasized the importance of recognizing the "lurker" or the person that is not actively participating in the blog.  According to WIlliams and Jacobs, "lurking is an imperative aspect of an online community and should be regarded as a form of passive or vicarious participation that not only serves to increase the understanding in the lurker, but provides a sense of belonging regardless of whether they ever intend to participate" (p 238). I feel this is an important aspect to blogging and the person reading can gain just as much from observing other peoples opinions and thoughts.  They are given the opportunity to gather information and reflect independently.
I've been familiar with the concept of blogging for a while, but have not participated.  It didn't seem like something that would be useful for me to use in my classroom.  After reading this article, I am able to see new ways that blogging could be a valuable tool I could use to enhance my teaching.

Williams, J. & Jacobs, J. (2004) Exploring blogs as learning spaces in higher education.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology
2004, 20(2), 232-247.

I chose to set up a Scoop.it account.  I think this will be a great way to gather useful information in one place and also get information from other people. It's also really easy to link websites from my toolbar.

http://www.scoop.it/u/bandrews10

I enjoyed the video and thought it would be great to show to some of my students.  I definitely feel like I'm using my strengths when I'm teaching, coaching, or doing personal training.  I feel very confident when I'm motivating others in the area of fitness.  I feel far less confident when I'm asked to sit on committees and plan for educational staff development. If I'm not passionate about a topic, I have a difficult time feeling confident.