Introduction: Today I am entering a new realm: Blogging. I never imagined myself doing anything remotely like this in my entire life. I’m like a fish out of water. However, here I am trying to keep up with the times. As an elementary educational graduate student, I am required to learn how to blog and to use the advancement of technology in my classroom. I am hoping this experience will teach me how to be more internet savvy and inform me on how the internet can help in teaching.

I will gladly take any positive feedback, on how I am doing in my efforts to explore new territories. My journey begins with posting Blogs that I find interesting to me. Below is my list of adventurous blogs:

Blog 1
Name: National Geographic Website

URL:http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/01/100126-tigers-greater-mekong-video/

Description:
National Geographic is an informational magazine that focuses on culture, geography and science. They have videos and an educational link for children. It has games and fact sheets about ancient civilizations, endangered species, and much more. It is a wonderful educational tool for students.

Reasons:
I chose National Geographic because I find the information on the site fascinating. The site has a variety of topics: ancient civilization, global warming, and endangered species to name a few. The way the site exhibits photos and information is interesting to all. Additionally, the information on this site is appropriate to have on a web quest for students to learn from.

Blog 2:
Name: Hope Foundation

URL:http://www.hopefoundation.org/start/

Description: Hope Foundation is a teaching network set up to help students to succeed in schools. Their motto is “Failure is Not an Option!” for any student. The site is extremely informative for educational purposes and provides useful teaching practices and methods.

Reason: I chose Hope Foundation because it was an educational source that would advance my teaching abilities. I am looking forward to learning more about “Failure is Not an Option!” because I strongly agree with the motto. I think that when children are expected to succeed then they do. Also, I am a strong believer that as teachers we need to give our students every opportunity to succeed.

Blog 3:
Name: Ozge Karaoglu’s Blog

URL: http://ozgekaraoglu.edublogs.org/

Description: Ozge Karaoglu’s Blog is about being a “21st century teacher and learner”. The site is filled with information regarding education and technology. It is considered to be one of the top 50 blog sites for education.

Reason: I was instantly drawn to this site from the moment I opened it. Visually, Ozge Karaoglu’s Blog is the best I have seen. In addition to its esthetics, the blog has an abundant amount of information about technology and how to use it in your classroom to enhance education. This is going to be a fantastic tool to learn more about technology in the classroom.

Blog 4:
Name: Edgalaxy

URL: http://www.edgalaxy.com/

Description: Edgalaxy was designed by Kevin Cummins to help educators find the latest technology tools and lesson plans to help keep teachers ahead of the revolutionizing world of technology education.

Reason: “Cool site for nerdy teachers” is the logo of Edgalaxy and I love it! Additionally, Kevin approaches technology as a toy and I liked that idea. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like playing with toys. Additionally, I found this page interesting, informative, and easy to read. I am ready to play with some new toys! Let’s play.