Technology in the classroom is becoming more prevalent every day. Teachers are influenced by programs that allow students to work at their own pace, retake assignments as many times as they like, and grade work quickly and effortlessly. Not only does it make the teachers' jobs easier by eliminating printing, copying, and hand-grading, it helps students by allowing them to take their time with assignments and repeat a concept until it finally "clicks."
The ISTE standards call for students to use technology to their advantage by creating helpful resources, using the Internet to assist with classwork and broaden their perspectives. They also seek to outline the morality of technology, emphasizing the importance of ethics and communication. My favorite standard from the ISTE standards for students is the "Digital Citizen" standard. In this, "students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical." I believe that this is essential not only as a student, but also as an adult. Technology use does not end when we graduate. In fact, our technology usage will likely increase as an adult. It is important to know what is moral and ethical when it comes to the Internet so that we can effectively browse in a safe, happy environment. On the other hand, the ISTE standards for teachers call for technology mastery, supporting students and colleagues, and contributing to the digital world. One standard that is currently out of my reach is the "Designer" standard, which states, "Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability." Although I rated myself a 6/10 on the technology scale, I am not very familiar with a lot of computer programs. I highly doubt that I would be able to create technological lessons that are not only easy to understand, but easy to create.
Today's youth are constantly being referred to as "digital natives," which means that they were brought up during the boom of technology and are familiar with computers and the Internet from a young age. Personally, I believe that this is an accurate term. Take America for example. Someone who has lived here their whole lives (a native) knows their city like the back of their hand. They know where all the best restaurants are, what day the garbage truck comes, and what time McDonald's is the least busy. When someone new (an immigrant) arrives in America, they are unfamiliar with their surroundings. They have to get used to the street names and get into a set schedule. This is the same with digital natives and digital immigrants. The natives are very familiar with technology because they don't know anything else. The immigrants need a little time getting used to technology. I can't count the number of times on one hand where my teacher asked how to make a video fullscreen. This has had a tremendous impact on my educational experience. I would sometimes get flustered when my teachers could not figure out simple technological procedures, and I vowed to never be that teacher. In my classroom, I will make sure that I am familiar with the technology we are using, whether it be iPads, smart boards, or laptops. I predict that my students will be more educated than I will, but I will be open to learning something new everyday.
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