Blog 1

There are many advantages to using computers in education. For teachers, technology can assist with their curriculum and lesson plans. For example, in order to explain a concept, a teacher might use their computer to create a PowerPoint. On the other hand, teachers may also utilize YouTube to show students a certain lesson. In addition, computers can be a huge support for teachers in the classroom. They can help with lesson plans and instructional design. In other words, technology can enhance the planning by utilizing tools on the computer. According to the textbook, computers can be used to help report attendance, entering grades, preparing a worksheet, or simply just researching a topic on the Internet. Whatever it is, computers are an important part of the educational experience. On the other hand, they can also cause critical concerns involving teachers and students. There are two variables, environmental and psychological. Environmental means sometimes while technology is being used in the classroom, for example, dim lightning and excessive movement. Psychological factors include the internal conditions that affect communication. I 100% agree with these issues that were touched on throughout the two chapters. In my personal experience where computers have been used, there have been issues with the quality of the technology or the way it has been presented.

One ISTE standard that gladdens my heart is the first one, facilitate and inspire students learning and creativity. To me, this is what teaching is all about, sharing your knowledge of the subject matter to others. On the other hand, one ISTE standard that seems outside my current skill set would be number two, design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments. This one seems like it would be a challenge. This is where being creative in technology plays a part.

A “digital native” is considered a person who was born into the era of technology. For example, I would consider my eleven-year-old sister to be a “digital native” because for her entire eleven years of her life, technology has been a huge aspect in our culture. On the other hand, a “digital immigrant” would be considered someone who grew up with no technology and has had to become used to it, as they have gotten older. I do agree with the term, “digital native” for today’s youth because these people have basically lived in a society that technically relies on technology. In my personal experience, I have definitely seen differences in these two terms. For example, in high school, most of our classes revolved around doing work on our iPads. I have been using Apple technology ever since I was around 8 so I am very familiar with the Apple products. On the other hand, my 60-year-old teacher has not been using technology for that long and is a little “slower” or not familiar with how to use an iPad. This problem of the teacher not knowing how to do certain things on the iPad caused some issues in the classroom. She would always waste time asking the students how to set things up, or the students would have to wait on her to figure out what to do. This became annoying because we started to waste time that we could be using to learn instead of her learning to use the iPad. As a “digital native” I anticipate myself as a teacher to be familiar with whatever technology I am using, unlike my older teachers who are still becoming familiar with them.