During this course we have moved through the examination of several new and emerging technologies to being able to determine the forces that define a technology that is new and emerging.  The question in the classroom seems to be “How do you get someone to learn something long, hard, and complex, and yet still enjoy it” (Gee, 2005, p. 34)?  It seems to me that these new technologies may just be part of the answer we are searching for.  I incorporated an online competition into my lesson plan that allowed students to learn and apply engineering principles while they discovered the steps engineers take when designing bridges.  I felt the program was a realistic and engaging introduction to structural engineering and as such, that it incorporated many of the theoretical principles of constructivism.  Digital games and online learning communities embrace the four change agents endorsed by Lemke and Couglin (2009) that we studied in the course.

 Being a technology teacher, it is my intention to keep abreast of new developing technologies by utilizing my instructional technology specialist and cultivating a network of fellow teachers who share my interest in incorporating the newest technology in the classroom.  I am fortunate our county has employees who specialize in these areas and who publish their newly found gems to pages on the technology intranet at school.  This makes the job of staying current all that much easier.

 Lemke, C., & Coughlin, E. (2009). The change agents. Educational Leadership, 67(1), 54–59  Retrieved March 19, 2010 from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/46348/CRS        -CW-3994595/Readings/ChangeAgents.pdf