wow lets catch up!

I can't believe how much is involved in E-Learning! I am having fun learning all this new technology but I am so frustrated by it at the same time! I am having trouble uploading my power point presentation or creating a link. I am sure that when I figure out how it works, I will be very confident, but at present I feel very frustrated!!! I can envisage my future students being frustrated if they were asked to preform a task...and I as their learning manager were not fully up-to date with the technology I am using...failing to keep them engaged! When using technology it would be imperative to be comprehensive with the technology used. Technology is already in our class rooms, as most private school students have a laptop. Public school students are yet to receive theirs(surprise, surprise) We do have a couple of classes at the public school I work at that have laptops but I feel that the technology is wasted. We have projectors in every class room, but our school could not afford the cables to connect teachers to the projectors and therefore they are useless. The few interactive whiteboards that our school has are extremely under used due to the lack of technology elsewhere in the school. I feel that this transition period that we are facing will eventually catch up to technology, but unfortunately it will be at the expense of our current students. Some of the current teachers are aware of the importance of technology in the classroom, but others are so unaware of the changes in society , let alone technology that they are oblivious to the fact that their students require more interaction with technology.Lets face it kids today are technology savvy. To become learning managers of the 21st century we will need to acquire the skills and attributes to engage our students. These skills and attributes will definitely involve being technology savvy! There are so many applications suited to involving students in engaging learning experiences, that as a learning managers we would be spoilt for choice! Video, voki, power point, u tube, skype,web cams,pod casts, facebook, i chat the applications are endless!!! Children of tomorrow will be workplace ready and futures oriented, with high order thinking skills. We as learning managers will help them achieve the desired learning outcomes using up-to date information and technology!
To engage my students with what I have learned recently I feel that the possibilities are endless. I would hope to engage my students in choosing what they are interested in and modeling a learning experience around what excites them. I know that not all students would be enthusiastic about the same things, but encouraging them to have a go may spark interest that drives them towards a positive learning outcome. Keeping in mind that not all students learn in the same manner. Being student centered is not a hard task! I feel that if you listen to your learners and take time to get to know them, you would find it easier to accommodate their learning needs and abilities, producing positive learning outcomes for all.
cheers
Trish