digital citizenship....

Where do I belong when it comes to digital citizenship?
Well maybe I should start with the fact that my family didn't own a computer until 1995. Although I did have an Atari for as long as I can remember, and we did eventually move into Nintendo. But up until '95 I did everything by hand, and my parents convinced us that we should not really "play" or "explore" the computer because we did not want it to crash and loose everything. In high school I learned to use the internet. I even made a web page (by html, because that was the only way to do it back then), but this took a lot of time and I could never reproduce it. It wasn't until 2001 that my family got "online" and my really experience with computers and what they could do began. As soon as I could I got an MSN account so I could instant message people day and night. Emailing became my main source of communication for long distances (I still prefer to phone if I can), and anytime I wanted to know something I would "Google it". I bought my first cell phone in 2003, and recieved my first MP3 player this year. I borrow my families digital camera's because I don't own one yet.
I have been fast tracked into the digital world over the past 7 years. I feel I have adapted quite well, considering. But I don't rely on all things "technology", hey I made it 18 years before technology, so I still have old habits to fall back on.
This is where I know my ideals will clash with my students. Don't get me wrong computers are great and I do check my email and other things more than once a day, but I know how to live with out them. I believe there is a time and a place in which technology can, will or should be used. I know I will use it more in my classroom then it ever was used while I went to school and for better purposes than the Oregon Trail.
I have always been someone who looks up ideas, or information on the internet, but now I am finding ways that I can contribute. I believe it is about giving back to the teaching community. Chances are any idea I have for the classroom has come from someone else. The one thing I was always told was "there is no use re-inventing the wheel" when it came to designing lessons or coming up with ideas. Chances are someone else has already done it. Wiki's and blogs are a great way to give back and to spread and share ideas.
In a short 7 years I have come a long way in believing in the power of technology and how it can assist us in learning and teaching. Ideas, picture, music, software, whatever are to be shared to assist in that learning not to impede it. Although I won't rely on technology in the classroom I will use it as a powerful learning tool.