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=Hi, I'm Nancy=

Welcome to my wiki for the Enhancing Core Teaching Skills With Technology. I can honestly say I have learned a lot over the past weeks, and some of the different technologies will be put to good use in my classroom now that the Smart Board and computer are working. (That's my daughter with me in the shoe!)

I teach music (all levels) in Austin, PA. I am responsible for general music Pre-K through 9 and also chorus and band. Life here is interesting, with a total student population of about 222 students. I moved into this area many years ago from outside New York City and definitely had culture shock but I can honestly say I would not want to move back (even if my husband wanted to!!) as the people and area here are so nice.

I graduated from Mansfield State College (yes, it was called that way back when) with a B.S. in Music Education. I met my future husband while student teaching in Coudersport, but went back to Long Island for a year to teach in an elementary school in Central Islip (on Long Island). l married my husband the next year - traveling back and forth between NY and PA every other weekend just got to be too much! We moved here after 4 months of "city" living and have been here ever since.

My goal after this course is to apply many of the technologies learned into my classroom. If I read my LoTi survey correctly, I needed help with just about everything in the NETS.T standards (1-5 inclusive)! I hope that I will come to appreciate the tools available and realize that, with our students being "plugged in" it only makes sense that teachers are as well,.

With a new class being added to my schedule this year and a wide open curriculum (it's up to the 'special' teachers to come up with a curriculum) I hope to imbue these students with a love of music other than iPods and computer games. I need to learn new tools and techniques that will enhance not only the learning experience for these students but also help me grow as a teacher.

Although I went into this class kicking and (silently) screamng, I believe I have grown into a teacher who will now be able to use (some) technology with a modicum of success. If you had asked me 13 weeks ago about wikis, Nings, or even web2.0 tools, I would have chuckled nevously and asked you what they were. Twitter and tweet was something birds did. Now I can give an (almost) educated answer about these social networking things (also a new concept!). My students will be the ones to benefit the most - they need to be brought into the 21st century with skills they can immediately have at their fingertips. If WE don't know about them, how can we expect out students to succeed in this ever-changing world we live in. At one time, I kicked at having to do PA standards - now it is absolutely necessary to know not only the state standards but also the NET.S standards - very much needed in this life today.