Blog post #1

It's a teachers responsibility to master technology skills, so they can teach it to their students as a tool. Technology can be a great aspect to life, and it is growing so much that students need to be aware of it and learn from it. It is a real life tool that will be used in every job position when they are ready for that chapter. By not learning and using it, students would be hurting themselves and not growing with the world we live in now. It also makes things much more efficient and easier at times. For example, communication between a teacher and a student. Technology makes a way for a message to be more instant and helpful. But with all the great advantages of technology, there is also a negative side. Students need to be cautious while using technology because it can be abused very easily and hinder other abilities that are important.

The ISTE standards seem to cover a lot of ground, but have the best intensions to students who are learning. One that really stood out to me and that I really agree with is number 1: "Empowered Learner". I think it is so important for everyone, no matter what they are doing, to make a goal for themselves. This gives them something to push for and they know where they are trying to head and what they are trying to accomplish. It also talks about developing strategies and creating a network to help you. This is now making the student think and come up with creative ways to help them succeed. Lastly, it gives them room to grow. They have to ask for help and look for ways to improve. This helping them learn from their mistakes, which is a good thing inside and outside the classroom. One that is difficult for me to understand and is outside my skill set would be number 5: "Computational Thinker".  I love math, problem solving, and analyzing data, but doing that on a computer would be very difficult for me. These are one of those subjects that I would prefer taking the time and doing by hand.

I definitely believe in the term "digital native". I believe that the more a person is around technology at a young age or growing up, the easier it will be for them to use it. Even if a person doesn't have it in there particular household, they are going to be surrounded by it at school or by their friends, and will soon be able to figure it out on their own. That's one of the most important reasons for teachers to stay up to date. They are going to have new and younger students every year who know more and are growing up with completely different technology than they did, and they are going to have to adjust. Just looking at my life span so far, which isn't to long in the grand scheme of things, and where we have come from when I was 3 to where we are now, is mind-blowing! Teachers sometimes take technology out of there lesson plans totally just because it is easier for them to do it the way they have always known instead of trying something new. I think this has somewhat hurt my growth in a technology aspect because I am now way more comfortable not using technology, and actually prefer not to use it, because thats what I was taught. I don't think this is a bad thing exactly, I'm glad I was taught the way I was, and that I had regulations when it came to technology, but like it or not, technology is extremely important, and everyone needs to know how to use it and be comfortable with it. This is what I think the difference between my generation and future student generations are going to be though. I don't think future generations are going to have a well balance and its going to be basically all technology, leaving out many different aspects to learning that are important and also effecting even the personality of a student.

Blog Post #0

The only time I ever really use technology is for basic school work. I use google docs the most. I love how you are able to log in from any computer and have all your information saved. I will normally use it for note taking in class, writing papers, and now I even you google slides instead of power point when I need to present something. Other than basic school needs, I only use my computer as a storage place for things like pictures. Most of my technology use would be with my iPhone. I have several different social media accounts that I go on and use on a daily basis, and then the biggest thing would be texting.

I have such basic skills in the technology department that by taking this class I should be able to learn a lot. I really would like to be able to make more interactive power points, and to at least know the basics on how to work excel. There are probably many more things this class would be able to teach me and I would love to learn, but couldn't even name because I haven't heard of them before! I'm very excited to see what I can get out of this class.

I'm not very surprised with the results of my learning style questionnaire. I definitely learn better from actually seeing something and then trying it myself, rather than hearing it over and over again and watching someone else do it. If I am able to do it once, by myself, I can normally repeat it and have figured out how to do it. I also do well when I am given the information straight forward instead of only being given a couple of steps and having to figure the rest out.