Blog #1

     Blog #1

     There are several factors that influence teachers and students to use technology in the classroom. One of the main factors is the increasing usage of technology in our society. Technology is a necessity to know how to use in today’s times and is an easier way for teachers to relate to and teach students. Teachers also have to know how to use technology in the classroom because they are responsible for teaching the future generation the basic technological skills they need to know now and will need to know for their future. This leads to another one of the main reasons that influences student usage of technology in the classroom, and that is so they can learn how to use all of these things. The increase of technology usage I mentioned previously is going to continue to grow. As it grows, these students need to be prepared to know how to use it and the teachers need to be technologically literate in order to properly teach them.

     After looking and learning about the ISTE standards, I believe it will be beneficial to classrooms for educators to follow these standards. It will help keep teachers up to date and involved in today’s newest technological advances. One standard that is meaningful to me is dealing with the citizenship displayed through technology. I feel it is important for students to know what is and is not appropriate to post online. I think as a future educator it is our responsibility to make sure we guide students in making these responsible online choices. One standard that I feel is outside of my current skill set is creating and designing things such as lessons and activities using technology. I do think this is a good idea for the classroom, however, currently I think I would need improvements on my technological skills in order to do this efficiently. Improving my current skill set is something I desire to do before I have my own classroom and set of students in the future.

    Digital natives are individuals who have lived in a time where technology has always been present in their lives. These individuals grow up using technology, even when they are very young. I do agree with the term “digital native” for describing today’s youth. I know that I do not remember not having a cell phone, laptop, etc. and I know the students younger than myself definitely do not either. They have grown up knowing technology and learning how to use it at a very young age. It has shaped the people they are becoming and going to be. Many of the skills they learn as elementary schoolers are things that some individuals in older generations will never even learn how to do in their lifetime. I have seen the difference between my generation and teachers we have had. My classmates and I have often been asked by teachers to help them figure something out with the technology in the classroom. I specifically remember an incident where my peer fixed an issue with the Smartboard in our class that our teacher has no idea how to resolve. Seeing my teachers struggle with keeping up with modern technology, encourages me to want to stay up with the new technology coming out so that I can relate to my future students better. Technology is only going to continue to advance and the gap of technology between myself and my future students will only grow larger, unless I do something to help prevent that from happening. In order for me to become the best educator I can, I will have to be responsible for teaching myself about the new technological advances and how to apply them in the classroom.