Wow.  What a learning curve this past week has been exploring 3-D printing, coding, and robots.  My mind is blown with all of the advancements out there.  3-D printing allows for hands-on learning in ways I never dreamed possible.  Want to hold an ancient artifact?  A model of the heart?  A mask of someone's face?  Bones from an extinct dinosaur?  With 3-D printing, all of these things are possible.  I have heard about this new advancement, but never considered the level of learning that could now take place in a classroom.  This technology has the power to revolutionize how we teach creating more well-rounded students.  I was very intrigued about the "Hour of Code" initiative.  When I first watched the video about it, I was skeptical.  When I actually did some of it myself, it was pretty awesome.  I felt proud of myself that I could help Elsa make a square!  Helping our students' self-esteem while learning computer science skills is extraordinary.

I am excited that we are teaching our students computer science and showing them the possibilities, but on one hand I am worried it is beyond my own comfort level.  With all of these changes, teachers need to be educated about incorporating technology in their classroom.  My sister teaches in an elementary school in northern Virginia, and what she is doing in the classroom technology-wise is light years beyond my own district.  They are constantly learning about how to utilize these tools, while I do not feel as prepared in my own position. However, we can make small changes in our teaching styles to eventually get to this level of teaching.