WebLog - Week 1

Personal Information

1.       I was born in Portsmouth, Virginia and raised in Suffolk, Virginia.

2.       I go by my first name, Garrick.

3.       I graduated from Radford University in 2001 with an undergraduate B.S. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.  I am licensed to teach K-5 in the state of Virginia.  I am currently employed by Suffolk Public Schools where I teach fourth grade at Mack Benn, Jr. Elementary school. 

4.       My hobbies include reading and watching sports on television.   I have traveled to a few different places in the country and have also been to Jamaica and Antigua outside of the country.  I enjoy all types of music, but especially reggae.  My family and I attend Western Branch Community Church. 

Learning Style and More

5.        For me to take an intellectual risk in class, there would have to be a reward, or benefit, worthy of the risk being taken.  If I feel the risk is going to help me grow and learn, then I would be willing to take it. 

6.       As a student, I believe I adequately participate in class conversations.  Though I do procrastinate from time to time on individual assignments (they’re always completed on time), I do come to class prepared to engage in class discussion and competently complete class assignments.  I always come prepared for group assignments and don’t mind doing what needs to be done for the assignment to be completed successfully.  If during a class or assignment I am having trouble understanding a concept or idea, I would attempt to find the answer on my own either through reading or research, but if I was still having trouble, I would either ask a classmate or professor for assistance and explanation. 

Technology

7.        The most important technological invention in history?  I will go with the computer, and more specifically, the internet.  I picked the internet because of the far reaching impacts it has had on society.  It has affected the way we communicate, the way we purchase things, and the way we retrieve information, just to name a few.  

8.       Electricity (Too broad?)

Automobile

Lights

Cell Phone

Computer (Internet)

Computer (Microsoft Office)*

9.       At the end of a typical school day, I shut down the computer at my desk, grab my cell phone out of the desk drawer, lock my door, and flip the light switch off as I leave my classroom.  I walk to the parking lot where I get into my car, and put the key into the ignition, which lights up a dashboard and sends gasoline to an engine that is going to propel my car forward, or backward, towards my destination.  Before I pull out of the parking space, I plug my IPod into the car adapter so I can listen to my favorite music on the way home.  My ride home takes about 20-25 minutes, depending on how many times those lights hanging above the street turn red.  As I near my house, I use my garage door opener so that I can pull my car straight in.  I then use my house key to unlock the door to my house, where I adjust the thermostat if necessary after being away all day.  Depending on the day, I either grab an ice cold beverage from the refrigerator or fill a glass of water using the faucet.  I will then log on to my computer to complete school work.  I may turn on the television to watch a show or game with my wife after we’ve used our stove or oven to make dinner.  My day usually ends after I’ve read a book by lamplight. 

10.   I believe technology in general is being used excessively by most children, and increasingly it seems, many adults.  Children are often watching television (oftentimes shows or movies they shouldn’t be), playing video games (oftentimes video games with adult content), or on the computer on social networking sites or websites with adult content.  The job of regulating these technologies falls on the adults these children live with.  Certainly, if they are being used in school, then it becomes the job of the teacher or school staff member to regulate and monitor their use.  In addition, schools can monitor student use on computers even after they’ve logged off.  Parents can, and should, do the same.