"Strengths & Weaknesses"

I have many various strengths and weaknesses in life as well as technology.  One strength which also happens to be a weakness is my experience working with various forms of technology.  I have always used Macintosh computers as well as PCs, so in many ways I feel I am ahead of my peers.  I am not an expert at any form of technology but, I do have experience with most forms of technology.  I have dibbled and dabbled in various forms, and feel comfortable with  most any program.  I am ashamed to say that on the UNI survey there was only one question where I was able to mark Expert, and that was software applications.  I enjoy experimenting with and utilizing various applications, and it seems my varied experience will prove to benefit me in my future classroom.  I am discovering that although it is beneficial to have a general understanding of various technologies, it would be superior to specialize in at least one of these technologies.  

In my future classroom with my future students I would like to choose one type of computer and help my students to become expert navigators.  I want them to feel completely comfortable and superior with at least one form of technology.  If they have a good grasp on one form then understanding others will be much easier.  I would also like to make sure that my students are properly able to analyze their web based research for authority, accuracy, currency, and relevance.   This is something I have struggled with as I have become more and more integrated with the technology around me.  I want my students to feel comfortable utilizing the Internet for school based assignments, while keeping in mind that all information and resources are not necessarily created equal.   

One Website that I have found to be immensely informative when trying to analyze my sources has been the Cornell University library.  Specifically their instructions on critically analyzing information sources.  I like the idea of comparing web based research to research done in a physical library.  It helped me to understand the basics of verifying research.  It is a great site and I will highly encourage my future students to browse through it. A second way that I might be able to improve my weakness's would be to browse through the website kidinfo.  This is a great site that I have stumbled across.  It is full of kid friendly information pertaining to various computer programs.  I would love to be an expert in using either a PC or Mac.  This site can help clarify some of the basic operations for me.  It is also a kid friendly resource that I could direct future students to.