Hello… It’s Me! *Adele’s Voice*

Hello Everybody!

Welcome to my first-ever blog! Although I have never been a blogger, I’m a big talker, so how hard can it be right? My name is Christen Gall and I’m a young millennial (almost a gen-z). That being said, when it comes to technology I’d say my generation is the bridge between “I hate this phone, I’m pressing all the wrong things” and “What is that cord connected to the phone in your photos mom?” because yes, we had computers in elementary school, with typing classes and internet research but we also had light posts as a curfew when playing outside with our friends.

There were no tablets, Apple Watches or iPhone when I was a young kid, but by the time I got to high school, I had my first iPhone, with social media, music and games. It was the coolest thing I had ever owned. So being only 14 years old when social media began (according to myself), I had a ton of time to get to know it. So I feel as though I was raised with technology. We grew and developed together, and we are both still evolving everyday.

When it comes to now, I have never felt it more important to utilize technology for everything we can. We literally have the world at our fingertips so why not make the most of it, right? As a full-time student, employee and mom, I am so eager to learn everything about educational technology. I would love to be able to have it in my back pocket as an extra resource everyday when I eventually become a teacher. As an educational assistant, everyday I see my teachers struggling with technology in one way or another, but I see them utilize it far more often. Teacher use technology for everything these days, whether it be for calming music during independent work periods, movement videos for brain breaks, research for prep and planning, networking with other teachers, sharing materials, keeping families informed and so much more. This only makes me want to learn everything I can through this course that much more!

So, let’s toast a virtual glass to soaking up all the wonderful knowledge from this class!

Cheers!