Internet Technologies in the Classroom

I love it! -- I hate it!! Technology in the classroom is what I'm referring to. There are so many ways that technology enhances our teaching that it is shameful not to maximize its usefullness, but how can we depend on something that we have little to no control over at the classroom level? Never fails, I find this terrific website at home that I find amazing and creative ways to utilize at school -- only to get to school and find the site is blocked by the school's filters or that videostreaming is not allowed!
Then there are the times when you have a wonderful lesson prepared for the classroom to utilize in the computer lab, only to find out that the lab is booked for Acuity/ or Scholastic Reading Inventories/ or even ISTEP+ testing.
As a teacher, it is critical to be flexible and always have a back up plan. As with any other subject in which you have little to no control -- you have to be flexible and go with the flow.
Concerns I have using technology in the classroom??? I am always striving to push my students harder and to hold them accountable for the lessons I teach. I want my students to be ready for the 21st century. I want them to have the critical thinking skills and problem solving skills necessary to survive in the future. In order to do that I have to find ways to make technology meaningful for them and create assignments that encourage the deep thinking I am looking for. Students need to know how to manage technology to meet those skills and I need to facilitate that for them.
In order to alleviate my own concerns about using technology in the classroom, I need to stay current with the latest technology. I need to stay engaged in the education/ technology world of blogging/ posting/ Web 2.0 sites. The better educated I am, the better prepared I am to meet my students needs... it's about being proactive, and not always trying to catch up. I'm lucky that I love to learn new things. I have always been a life-long learner. I enjoy the thrill and challenge of learning new things. Even better still is that I love to share my new knowledge with others -- and isn't that how people learn best... by teaching others? The best way I know to alleviate my own concerns is to stay educated and not let things bog me down... flexibility is key.