Blog Journal 1

Technology is a major part of the 21st century, especially in the classroom. More recently, tons of technology for education and learning has surfaced and is being implemented into the classroom. Teachers and students can decide whether or not these technologies fit their teaching methods and will help their students. Some factors that could influence the use of technology are ease, accessibility, cost and effectiveness. Technology can provide ease for both teachers and students, whether its as simple as using email to contact parents or making a document available online, rather than having to print 30+ copies of a document and risk misplacing it. Cost is also an influence in the use of technology because while uploading a document reduces the use of resources like paper and ink, purchasing iPads or Chromebooks for student use can be expensive for the school, especially with the risk of being damaged by students. Also, some websites or resources online, cost money to access that students might not have. The effectiveness of the technology also has an impact because if the "old fashioned" way of teaching certain things proves to be more effective, then teaches will opt out of using technology that could complicate things. 

The ISTE standards for educators provide goals for new and established educators that strive to empower students. Educators should act a guiding resource for students and well as learners themselves, always improving their knowledge and resources. One standard in particular that stood out was "Analyst" because its not a goal that first comes to mind, but makes a lot of sense. the analyst standard strives for educators to observe how their individual students are preforming and provide "alternative ways" for their students to demonstrate their intelligence using technology, if found struggling with one method. Educators should use technology to make sure all their students end up understanding the material on the same level and modify the designs of their plans to fit students. The "analyst" educator standard is also the one I feel I would have trouble upholding currently. Understanding how each students learns and tests and designing and lesson plan based off those individual needs, using different technologies, seems very intricate. With experience comes ease, but at the moment, this standard appears the most difficult to me for the future. Luckily, there is endless technology meant to help educators and it is one of the standards to explore that technology. 

A "digital native" can be described as "a person born or brought up during the age of digital technology and therefore familiar with computers and the Internet from an early age". I think this term is a great way to describe today's youth when it comes to knowing about the technological world. Kids growing up now have so much knowledge about all kinds of systems, games, phones, computers that people over 30 have no idea about and will to learn about much slower than someone who was practically born into it. Teachers, who are usually older, often have a hard time adapting and learning about all this technology that is surfacing constantly. Often times, students will have to assist the teachers with WiFi issues, projectors, miscellaneous cables, etc. that are difficult to remember for a "digital immigrant" while it is basic knowledge for someone who grew up with this technology. Personally, I have experienced a lot of teachers end up having technical difficulties and need a students help that has experience. It ends up taking up valuable class time that has an effect on my focus and also affects the teaches daily lesson, possibly pushing back the schedule. I mainly use technology for school like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Canvas, etc. but also recreational use like YouTube, Hulu and Netflix. While I'm not the best at troubleshooting problems I come across, I do think I am proficient in a lot of technologies, though not quite a "digital native" like my future students will be. I anticipate most of them will know more than I do in online websites or programs but as a educator, a standard I should strive for is always learning and exploring technology as well.