PL8.
As a teacher, you always see all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds that promote or inhibit that child's education. While many schools are fortunate to have kids that have technological resources, there are just as many that don't. Most teachers just accept this fact and teach within those boundaries. How can you escape them? How could you really make a difference?
I think the most important thing in changing this unfortunate situation is showing that you really care. You care about these kids on an individual level and you care about their future. New technologies are expensive which points to the main reason why this issue is there. Old fashion fundraisers are car washes and gift wrap selling; nothing that requires technology. This can be easily changed by the Internet.
I think one of the most simple things to start out doing would be to make a facebook fan page. Let all your student and your students friends become fans. On the fan page, explain that you are raising money to expand technology into the homes of those without these resources. The population of people on facebook alone is guaranteed to create some funding for these computers and other supplies. Next, make a twitter or a blog and publish to the world what your cause is. When people in your community become aware of your cause the more popular it will be. The best part is, it is not limited to your local community... it can reach the entire world. A little exposure is all that is needed. Because the cause is so current I think the idea would catch on and many people would donate to the funding for these students. It is so easy now a days to reach out internationally and people like to see teachers that are really engaged in their students and their lives.

PLJ7.
Sir Ken Robinson's TED video was extremely entertaining as well as interesting. He brought valid points to the table that are not normally considered in the present day. When he brought up the fact that everywhere in the world has a hierarchy in the education system with dance being at the bottom it struck a particular chord with me. He says, "Everyone likes to dance," which was especially true for me as a child. One of my furthest memories as a young child was dancing... because I was always doing it. When I was about 2 years old the song "Love Shack" by the B-52's came out and boy did I LOVE that song. When the song comes to the part where it repeats "and it goes around and around and arounddddd" I would run in circles until I would fall over. Also, I thought that the lyrics were "Love Shark" and true to what Sir Robinson's said I was not afraid to be wrong. This love for movement and dance led me to become a ballerina for 13 years. Dance has had a huge impact on my life and is something that I continue to love to do. (Even if it is dancing in the mirror in my room by myself.)
Although I do not have a learning disorder of any kind, Ive come to discover that without sports or dance or music, I would not be able to get through school. The strangest part is that I had never truly realized this until college. I always found elementary and secondary school to be fairly easy with challenges here and there, but college has been extremely different. Because it has brought much more academic challenge I find myself turning more and more to these physical artistic outlets to relieve my stress. One of my best friends lives in Australia and she constantly tells me how while education is important there it is not stressed nearly as much as it is here. College is not expected to be for everyone and experience is often more valued. This approach isnt the solution to our educational problems but I think it sheds light on a way at viewing individual intelligence. Not everyone is meant to be in a classroom. Now, more than ever do I appreciate the fact that I can tap into my creative resources and enjoy them. I really do with they were more appreciated in the education system and not just math, science, and language.

PL6.
Participatory Culture seems like a foreign term but in reality defines my everyday life. Yes, I have a Facebook and check it daily. Yes, I have a Twitter that I update regularly. Yes, I had a Myspace and AIM that were my "gateway drugs" to my online social networking addiction. The thing that blows my mind is that I never thought these sites would become so powerful that they are changing the path of future culture from a local scale all the way to a global one. Although it's hard pinpoint the exact start of it all, it has blown up to become a tool that can connect people everywhere; which has never been done before. I can remember watching futuristic movies as a kid and thinking, "Wow! How cool would it be to live in those times!"... and here I am, on the verge of being a star character in Back to the Future. The video puts the power of these new tools in perspective by breaking down new skills that are needed to participate in these new technologies. I am currently a member of an affiliation culture, a collaborative problem solving culture, and a circulation culture. 3 out of the 4 culture I actively participate in. That number surprised me, especially someone who considered themselves NOT technologically savvy. The video incorporates several of the new skills needed for these technologies including appropriation, multitasking, performance, negotiation, and judgment. The video is in part interactive through being a video its self but does lack certain skills like transmedia navigation, play, and networking. After defining the new set of skills needed, I can agree with their thesis. The generation that uses technology efficiently (which apparently includes me, who knew?) has indeed developed new skills to allow them to manage the Internet in their favor. With 6 tabs open as I write this blog, multi-tasking stands out to me as one of the most important skills. Networking is also another important aspect of using technology. As soon as I meet a new person I want to find them on Facebook or Twitter to find out more about them and network. Participatory Culture can be used in the classroom in many ways and helps to bridge the gap between teacher and student. Online learning games can be utilized so easily and teach kids without them even knowing it. Sporcle.com is one of my favorite game websites that masks the bore of boredom of some educational topics by creating interactive games around the subject. The teacher may propose students to launch a campaign via Facebook and encourage their friends to participate in it. Blogs and wiki's really help to connect students for more than just a class period. Podcasts and videos are fun and interactive. There are many ways to utilize the technological tools that are available on today's Internet.

PL5.
I have always been taught about the dangers online. Yes, when I was in middle school I had AIM and explored the Internet, but I was always wary of the online predator. Whether to give credit to my parents or my school, my online behavior never seemed to lead me in the wrong direction or put me in a bad situation. I heard stories about younger girls who were desperate for attention and easily trusted strangers online. These stories never usually ended well. To me, these were red flags. You're not supposed to talk to strangers in real life, so why would you on the Internet? It was easy for me to understand. But it's not so easy for other kids. I grew up in a very supportive, loving family that cared if I was roaming around bad sites on the Internet. Not all children have that blessing. When I say children, I am really referring to teenagers. Young children really aren't at risk as much as tweens and teens. Children are too naive to get themselves into sexual situations and continue pursuit. Teens on the other hand, are sexually curious and have raging hormones that beg them to rebel and take action in their lives. Without guidance from parents and teachers, an adolescent could easily find themselves in an inappropriate situation. This group of our population is what we need to protect. They are vulnerable and want as much attention as they can get. Finkelhor says directly, "they are criminal seductions that take advantage of teenage, common teenage vulnerabilities. The offenders lure teens after weeks of conversations with them, they play on teens’ desires for romance, adventure, sexual information, understanding..."
It's obvious that action needs to be taken to protect these teens from endangering situations. So the Internet should be what we aim to protect. Perhaps the entire Internet is much too large to control, but websites and chat rooms that can be visited by teens. We can control what channels they can watch on television, why not on the Internet? Parents and teachers have a responsibility to education teens and children on the dangers of the Internet as well as sexual predators that can pose as peers. Without communication between generations, protection is at a loss.
dannah boyd also discusses how teens mirror their real lives on the Internet which brings the good and the bad. When teens are in trouble offline, it reflects their online behavior. I agree with most of what she says about how adults think teens are just going online for sexual intentions and forget that it can also be an outlet to express themselves and find support that is otherwise lacking. She brings an interesting concept of digital street outreach. It's something that makes sense but takes a second to let your mind wrap around it. With technology ever changing, it is obvious that we need something to reach out to kids who might not have supportive family environments and to educate internet safety to everyone. It's an entirely different generation with entirely different resources that need to be addressed to ensure safety online... just like we try to ensure safety in everyday life.