Being True to Your (NERD) Self

It's a weird feeling inside. A sense of insecurity because you do not know how someone will look at you if you were to reveal your personal interests that you do not share with your friends and peers. But why? Why feel insecure about what you love.. It makes you YOU!

You can't help that you have an unhealthy obsession with Batman. I know I do! For me, I grew up watching cartoons and reading comic books. I found super heroes to be a big part of my hobbies. Most people out grow these things we liked as kids, or discouraged to keep interest in it because it is not an adult or teenage thing to do anymore. We have to pursue adult things like relationships, sex, drugs, alcohol, things that make us older, but is it really immature to find our childhood refuges out of date in your twenties and on?

NOPE!!!

You need to be your TRUE self at all times! Friends will come to understand you more, because your hobbies and interests shape your personality, and if your friends do not understand those things about your life, then they don't understand you at all. I actually strive to push people to explore what makes them happy in life with their interests. I, luckily, have found a circle of friends that enjoy being themselves and expressing their knowledge of comic book history, super villains, and their love for shows that people don;t want to admit. 

Have you ever sat around on a porch with a group of late twenties with beer in hand discussing how the X-Men and the Avengers combine in the universe? Didn't really think so.. But then again I guess if this blog appeals to people of my tastes then probably.. haha

It is a simple concept, but making sure you don't give up or change, or hide yourself from people is easy. You just can't let people tell you why or how you should be as an adult! Everyone is different and that difference makes you YOU!

Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts

The video "Harness Your Student's Digital Smarts" is a great example of new age classroom learning. It did a great job of pointing out that, as teachers, we will not always be the all knowing mentor in the classroom surrounded in digital learning. It is a new and unique way of helping students learn in different ways then just pen and piece of paper. It encourages new and creative ways of thinking and evolving. The teacher doesn't have to sit and instill terminology rigorously into the students, but help students find answers through digital media. In the process children begin to develop better skills for digital media and are able to help others understand what to look for and share their own findings. In return when discovering new things, students will help their instructors learn more about the growing and changing media provided to us.

I want to try and implement as much technology use as I can in my future classroom. I want to integrate it as much as I can to help my students grow in a technologically accelerated world but maintain their constant progression in learning academic subject matter. 

Also in the process of integrating the technology, making sure to practice superb digital citizenship for students, and helping the, stay focused on educational uses for school settings.

Are There Side-Effects With This Networking?

Social Networking! The revolution that took over our society, to say the least.. It (social networking) is our culture now. Its everywhere! It's what we eat, sleep, drink, watch, eat again, do in any of our spare time, and even after that time is up. We are obsessed.. It has to be unhealthy how obsessed we are with social networking.. I'm beating around the bush I suppose, but I had to make the point that it effects us as individuals now. I was able to come across a couple of pages that helped give great examples of negative/ positive feedback and a sense of understanding the social network culture. It has been expressed that social network users spend about 22% of their time surfing the web of social networking sites and finding ways of branching out. It's even suggested that, or made claim, one out of five relationships in 2012 was made possible by social networking sites. They say about 60% of the world's population is active online today. This can bring so many effects to our lives.

Positive attributes that can result from our new network life are as follows:

Easy, fast, and immediate communication.

New ways of marketing yourself, business, and or ANYTHING..

Creating new methods of being creative, through writing, digital photography, and blogging.


Negative attributes to this new social life consists of:

Over exposure to violence, sexual content, drug use, you name it.

Becoming to personal in a public setting across the whole internet.

And unhealthy addictions to social media sites.


Personally I can relate to all of these effects that social media has bestowed upon us throughout the past few years. And as it progresses I feel we will have to learn how to incorporate it more effectively then it already is in the current state.

http://www.techbead.com/positive-and-negative-effects-of-social-media-on-society/

http://www.thegrizasonline.com/the-impact-of-social-media-on-society

Bloggin' It Up!

This is the blog of one weird individual that finds fun in a spectrum of things arranging from nerding out to comic book heroes to obsessions in guitar gear. Yes this individual is none other than me... Nic Utley. Born and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I have a passion for music. It consumes my life from working at F.Y.E. to playing guitar live in bands and Lakepointe Church. Being 23 years old isn't an easy task anymore, definitely when you are as indecisive as me with every decision. When you have deep interests in comic books, movies, games and music, I guess you can become a little overwhelmed with real life decisions. I figure I can make this blog into a interest blog revolving around all these passions I find dear to me and relate to the internet world.

Big show at Arkansas Tech University during my run with the band Stereo Sound
https://www.facebook.com/stereosoundband

I have created this blog because of my Educational Technology class at Henderson State University. Dr. Benton has encouraged us to create a blog to find new ideas in educational networking and even making money! 

I suppose I joined the educational field of study because of my respect for teachers. I grew up with a dad who taught history and coached football, and understand the value of education. Kids are the future for us when we become older, so investing in them will create a better world for us in the future. 

I figure as the blog progresses and evolves, I may find ways of explaining and giving my thoughts to help entertain, encourage, and progress in the new world!