Blog Post 1

Technology today has changed and greatly evolved over the years. Even though my generation was heavily dependent on certain technologies, the new generations are using newer devices and other technologies that I might not be as familiar with. It is important as a student as well as a teacher to change with the changing times with technology. Most commonly seen within the classrooms are computers, or some type of touch-screen device, and also a smart board or a promethean board. When having these technologies, it is important to make sure that the teachers know what these technologies are and how to properly use them so that these devices can be used to its full potential and the students can hopefully understand the material better. Technology in classrooms can be cool and fun while trying to learn new and different material, but only if implemented correctly. If not, then technology can also be a major distraction.

The ISTE organization was created to help students and teachers succeed in schools. The standards that they have created are put in place for students to reach their full potential and strive for greatness in their academic career. One standard that I personally can relate to is being an empowered learner. Being an empowered learner means taking initiative in school and trying my absolute hardest in class to receive the grades I know I can achieve. One of the standards that seems more complicated for me to fulfil is being an innovated designer. In being an innovative designer, you need to be creative. From past experiences, I am not very creative in designing, formatting, and coming up with solutions to certain situations.

Digital natives are people that were born during the technology era. They grew up using and surrounded by technology. Even if they themselves were not using the technology, as long as it was accessible and seen while growing up, they are considered a digital native. Looking at the newer generations, they are most comfortable with the newer technologies than older generations. I believe this is because the youth like to play with toys and the newer devices and items in technology spark their interest. Because of this, within the classroom, teachers are almost “out of the loop” when it comes to technology. For example, in high school, I had a math teacher who had been teaching for close to 20 years. She had a promethean board installed but only used it to project the overhead. She did not use the board to teach us and create shapes or use the pen to write on the board. She would still write on paper and project that on the screen and that’s how she taught us our lessons. Some teachers do not like the change into using the new technology because they are not properly taught and trained on how to actually use these devices. Technology will also keep improving and changing. What I am comfortable using now will be very different from what will be used in the future. Because of this, and as a teacher, I will have to be taught about the new devices within the classroom to help my students in their essential learning process.