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=Hello, I am Allen David Bordelon, Director of Technology in La Vernia ISD.= =Welcome to my "Listen to the Natives" Wiki!=

===This wiki, along with my blog, comprises an ePortfolio chronicling my journey through the Lamar University Masters of Education in Educational Technology Leadership program as I seek to become a better leader and a better educator.===

As educational technology leaders, we know that the world is changing fast and we must address the new and different ways in which our students learn. Marc Prensky refers to our students as "digital natives" who were born into a networked, digital world. We will always be "digital immigrants" in this new world. Please read Marc Prensky's treatise on Digital Natives for in-depth information on this topic.

Increasing technology integration and implementation as outlined in the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology is the key to reaching our digital native students. Increasing technology integration and implementation is essential to improve our scores in the Teaching and Learning key area of the Texas STaR Chart.

As the Technology Director for La Vernia ISD, I realized that in order to reach the next level, and truly improve instruction, I must first improve myself so that I think more like an educator and less like a "techie". I wanted to learn research-based best practices regarding the implementation of instructional technology, while discovering relevant strategies for increasing the relevance and rigor of our instructional technology programs. Thus began my exploration in lifelong learning through the Lamar University Masters Online program.