Coe 13 Things Week 1 Post 2

As part of the Millennial Generation, I have grown up hearing a lot about all the new technology as it comes about. Yet, I did not have a computer in my house, or even (gasp) a television until later in my childhood. Because of this, I would not necessarily say that I am as up to date on technology as many of my peers are. Working with students, I notice on a daily basis how "plugged in" they are. They are either texting, surfing the web, tweeting, or facebooking for much of their day. Recognizing this fact, it is my responsibility to meet my students where they are at. If this means learning new ways to use technology to get to this point, I can only imagine that Web 2.0 and other new forms of technology and social media can help with this effort. However, as we jump onto this new bandwagon, I am reminded of how wonderful Facebook and MySpace were to students when they first came out. While there is still some debate as to whether these social sites are blessings or curses to the Student Affairs profession, they are part of the society in which we must navigate. I have decided to learn the lingo and try to comprehend as much as I can. Sure, I will falter and often need to ask my students to explain yet another aspect of technology to me. However, this is what I love about my job...my students often end up teaching me just as much as I teach them!

Coe 13 Things Week 1 Post 1

I decided to participate in the 13 Things adventure after deciding that I had too much free time! :-) Well, that's sort of the case. I just completed a full-time Master's degree program and have quickly found myself with free time. This is the first summer since I began high school that I have not been in school! I have been finding myself thirsting to learn something new and different to keep my mind active, which is something that I have learned I really need to do to be able to sleep well at night!

Oh yeah, the incentive of possibly winning an iPAD helps too! :-D