Can you keep up?

How do you do it? How do you keep up with the ever-changing technology? I consider myself a bit of a techie, but between a full time career, classes at night, and raising a family, I find it extremely hard to keep up with all the latest and greatest technology that I can use in my classroom. It seems as though when I find or learn something new to use in my classroom, all of a sudden, there is something bigger and better. Can anyone out there relate?

I guess the first question that needs to be asked is why do we need to keep up when the tools we use work. Nisa Chitakasem, explains 5 reasons why any workplace needs to keep up with technology. She first explains that although we used what works, eventually you will be left behind and passed by the newer generation entering the workplace. Secondly, the technology lingo is ever changing and knowing terms like +1, pin, and tweet will keep you up with the latest in social media. The way we file is also changing by moving away from physical files and discs to shared folders and cloud-cased files. The fourth reason, social media, need I say more. News travels fast and by keeping up with social media will keep you up with the latest news. Finally, reaching customers is being done more and more with technology so to be the "cool" company, you need to keep up with the way the public receives information. Of course the previous reasons mainly apply to the business world, but really it applies to education as well.

Here is Jason Swenk, a technology and social media guru, telling us how he keeps up with technology. A dedicated time? Maybe I can find an hour by myself to try this...we will see!

One way I try to keep up is my obsession with Pinterest. I have a board dedicated to technology in the classroom. This board contains tools I want to eventually try in my classroom as well as tips and tricks I can share to help others. I reference my Pinterest board constantly. My board consists a lot of Google information since my district is Google-based, however, my advice to you would be to search for the system your school uses. If you are an Apple using district, simply search "Apple Apps for the classroom." When I search for Google tools, there are so many results, it can be overwhelming. But just pin it, and come back later.

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