This new generation of online users is much farther ahead in there academic life than I was at their age. To have so much knowledge at their disposal and the ability to connect with people around the world is an amazing thing. I grew up watching the Jetsons where everything was computerized and you could have anything you wanted in a moments notice. This generation of online users seems to have access to whatever they want at a moments notice. There are some concerns to instant online information and gratification and the issue is debatable from both sides of the issue.

Many well respected educators and researchers believe the Generation Always-On users will have increased problem solving skills by working in cooperative groups, the ability to search effectively for information, to discern quality verses veracity of information and increased awareness and concentration.(Elon University-Dan Anderson)  Its an exciting time for this future generation and the world is hopelessly expecting bright and amazing people to emerge on the scene to change the world for the better. But they have to be mindful that at the end of the day not to try and' fix what's not broken. 'We are people and not computers and the human element to life is always the most important thing at the end of the day.

Sometimes we forget the impact we have on people, both positive and negative and the long-term implications it can have on someone who is looking to us for guidance and encouragement. As I watched Marcus Buckingham I was reminded of how important it is to be our very best in every moment, especially when we are in a position of leadership. I fall into the small category of those people who actually enjoy their job and as the old cliche goes, 'when you enjoy your job, it's not a work.' I try and bring an attitude of the glass is always half-full and I try to find success even in failure. I believe its important to be leaders in our homes, on our jobs and in our community and encourage those around us to be positive, pursue their dreams, and be a blessing to others! 
I have been fairly successfull in sports as I was all-state in football, all-league in basketball and drafted and signed with the Kansas City Royals for baseball. Sports has always been a place I could call my 'sweet spot'. It was a place for me to achieve and compete at a high level without ever thinking failure was part of the equation. And when I played poorly it drove me to work harder to become the best. I enjoyed the pressure of playing well. Micheal Jordan said it best when he said, 'we miss every shot we don't take.'
I have transitioned from player to teacher/coach and I take the same approach with my students/players. When I'm in the classroom and on the court I'm in my sweet spot because I know I'm making a difference in the lives of my student/players. I certainly don't claim to know it all but I have been around the block enough to know what works and what doesn't.
There have been times in my life when I knew that I was out of my element. I have never enjoyed public speaking because by nature I'm a quiet person. I have worked really hard to become good enough where it appears i"m in my seet spot, but in reality I don't enjoy it...As much as I enjoy coaching I do not enjoy fundraising, booster commitments and asking people for help. I prefer to do things on my own as opposed to delegating so I am a work in progress in that respect.

The PLN I chose to use is called Scoop.it. I chose this Professional Learning Network is because it is very user friendly. I was looking for a network that I could navigate through relatively easy because of the work load in my classes. This site allows you to streamline, helps to grow business and personal contacts and can match and find the audience you are trying to communicate with. It's also does searches for you by typing in what you are looking for...As it shows in it's advertising page it can be 'the hub that feeds social media.' I'm looking forward to utilizing this Professional Learning Network on a regular basis.

I have never had a twitter, facebook or PWP blog site so I'm learning what blogging and microblogging is all about. I like the fact that you can make short comments and keep an updated post on what's going on in the sports world. I am an avid sports fan so I think its great many of the top athletes keep their fans connected to a small part of their lives. I like that you can send links to pictures, vidoes and highlights of sports entertainment.

I am beginning to see the benefits of microblogging in an athetic forum relevant to my own sports team that I coach. Often times players want to know what's going on regarding practice, game schedule or what others are doing. This is a great way to communicate with my players and parents as to what's going on with the team. I haven't gotten to that point yet, but it is a work in progress.

I chose DeAnna Butler's PWP page and I thought she did a very good job of creating a PWP page that was very well organized and well thought out. I had no problems navigating through her site as each page was done with creativity and easy to understand. I liked the fact that she seems to be a person who is driven and succeeds at everything she puts her hands to. She expresses herself very well and her resume speaks alot about her past success.

I really liked the fact that she didn't try to over do it in her philsophy but was clear and to the point. Some people try to go over the top to make a good impression but really they are not the person who they claim to be. Clearly her PWP page is a professional website. I wouldnt change anything about her website because she represented herself well, was to the point, and didn't try to go over the top. If I could copy any of her website pages it would be her blog page with I enoyed reading her PWP.

I have spent a great deal of time over the last several years using the internet as a source of information, reading and researching topics that interests me. The internet provides an opportunity to explore and search for knowledge that was not previouly so accessible when I was in college twenty years ago. The internet will now be the primary source for researching and expanding my knowlegde base as I work towards my master's degree in Kinesiology. 

The internet allows you to research and find information quickly....Information is literally a touch away! I spend alot of time following sports and the Yahoo sport website in place I can go to find out what's going on with my favorite teams and players. I also coach boys basketball so I use Maxpreps as a place to report how my team is doing and provide statictics to those interested in the progess of my players. I am not part of the social media scene, so setting up webpages and uploading information and pictures is challenging to me at this point. The unknown is always uncertain, so I look forward to the day when I am more comfortable with my social media sites.

Anytime you can make information easier to access and it proves valuable to the learning proces I think is a good thing. Just like anything, the internet can be a place of distractions and unproductivity in one's life, but if the internet is kept in it's proper context and used appropriately then exploring the internet for the things that interests you can be fun!

follow me on twitter at Dsh4Darryl...:)