How Can We Create Change

Last week, I was at the World Color Guard Championships, which is a whole other part of my life. While there I was trying to find free time to finished up grad school stuff and continue to write reflections for my portfolio (due in two weeks-yikes!). Other than that, I didn't really see how two of the facets of my life; educational technology and color guard relate. However, as I sat watching Marian Catholic High School from Illinois, I realized I was wrong. Their show was all about change and we can be a part of it-changing the way people think, how they treat others, how the treat the environment, changing how we relate to cancer, and more. Maybe I was reading too much into it, but it made me realize how I've changed in this program and how technology has changed me.

I believe that learning about technology and educational reform has made me a better teacher, colleague, learner, and person. Although I sometimes feel overwhelmed by it all and have to stop and catch my breath and "power down", I have found more ways to learn about new things, stay involved, and keep in touch through technology. As I student I didn't have the advantages students today have. I would have loved to show off my talents and my thoughts by using video or a podcast. Even a blog-as I'm doing now. I was pretty creative growing up, but I really think this would doubled my creative energy. However, I do see where I probably would have had a problem with doing everything online, and neglecting everything else. That's why it's important to show students that while technology is great, they also need to go enjoy the sunshine and personal time with a human being outside of instant messenger.

Technology has changed us in other ways too. Just look at television, the writer's strike came out because of the increase in demand of shows and specials being available online. At TVguide.com, actors and actresses, writers, and directors are keeping blogs and answering questions and talking to fans like never before. I also keep up with my favorite shows by listening to podcasts created by fans, who interview the staff and stars. That couldn't be done ten years ago; that wouldn't have been done ten years ago.

And now in color guard, something very near and dear to my heart, the evolution has begun. Instead of using tapes and tape players to record judges' comments, the local circuit here and many others, have started using digital voice recorders. Tape and tape players are so hard to come by now and this process is so much easier. When the comments have been recorded, the comments can be burned onto a CD, copied to a flash drive, or added to your ipod. The way music is used in color guard is also changing, we've been using CD's for some time now, but will the next move be to hook up your ipod or mp3 player? Will there be a need for CD's soon? A very interesting thought.