Blog Journal 1
Recent technological advancements have grown at a rate never before seen. Because of this, new software, tools, and platforms have been invented that can be used in education. Teachers have a desire to use this technology to their benefit, to make it easier to teach, as well as to the benefit of their students, to make it easier or more fun for them to learn. Teachers are for the first time teaching a generation of students that were raised almost completely reliant on technology. Educators have finally begun to accept this fact and have started adapting to it and using it to their advantage to get students more interested and engaged with learning. Students have a desire to use technology in the classroom because the older ways seem outdated to them. They understand technology and are experts at using it. Because of this, students are more likely to want to engage in the learning process when and if it involves technology of some sort.
Despite how ingrained technology is into our daily lives, it is still relatively new in general. Therefore, we are still learning proper etiquette and rules to follow when it comes to technology, the Internet, etc. I think the ISTE standards are a great way to outline these rules for students, teachers, and the like. For me, the 3rd standard is the most meaningful. With the Internet, a vast knowledge of information is at our fingertips, but it is not always accurate or trustworthy information. Standard 3b, teaching students to "evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility, and relevance of information, media, data, or other resources" is of great importance not just for educational purposes in high school and college, but also for the world beyond school in a professional or personal setting. The third standard also discusses how these skills will allow students to take this knowledge to the next level by helping them work to solve real-world problems; I think that is an invaluable skill for students to learn. One standard that I think is a bit out of my depth is the 5th standard about computational thinking. This standard talks about algorithmic thinking and data analysis and solving problems about complex technology systems. That all sounds like a foreign language to me! However, it is still a valuable skill that I hope I get better at as I continue my education and then move into my career.
I absolutely agree with the label of "digital native" for the new generation and "digital immigrant" for the older generations. As a millennial-GenZ cusp, I think I have gotten a good look at both sides as well as my own personal experiences with technology. My two little sisters are about 10 years younger than me and it seems like they were born knowing how to work Apple products. I had an iPhone for years before they did and they still somehow know more than me. My parents on the other hand, were able to adapt, but they still know way less than me. This is echoed in my educational past. Growing up, my teachers always had issues working technology, whether it was opening a PowerPoint or even just turning on the projector. Myself and other students were always helping them figure out how to fix the problems they encountered, even if it was just turning something on. I wouldn't say it ever got in the way of my learning, though, because they were capable of teaching without the technology, but they also had us IT experts at their disposal. While growing up I always joked that I would never be the teacher who couldn't open a PowerPoint, I look at how fast educational technology has continued to grow and I doubt myself a little more now. However, while I'm not necessarily a "digital native," I think I did learn the skills to be able to adapt better than my teachers were able to.
Despite how ingrained technology is into our daily lives, it is still relatively new in general. Therefore, we are still learning proper etiquette and rules to follow when it comes to technology, the Internet, etc. I think the ISTE standards are a great way to outline these rules for students, teachers, and the like. For me, the 3rd standard is the most meaningful. With the Internet, a vast knowledge of information is at our fingertips, but it is not always accurate or trustworthy information. Standard 3b, teaching students to "evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility, and relevance of information, media, data, or other resources" is of great importance not just for educational purposes in high school and college, but also for the world beyond school in a professional or personal setting. The third standard also discusses how these skills will allow students to take this knowledge to the next level by helping them work to solve real-world problems; I think that is an invaluable skill for students to learn. One standard that I think is a bit out of my depth is the 5th standard about computational thinking. This standard talks about algorithmic thinking and data analysis and solving problems about complex technology systems. That all sounds like a foreign language to me! However, it is still a valuable skill that I hope I get better at as I continue my education and then move into my career.
I absolutely agree with the label of "digital native" for the new generation and "digital immigrant" for the older generations. As a millennial-GenZ cusp, I think I have gotten a good look at both sides as well as my own personal experiences with technology. My two little sisters are about 10 years younger than me and it seems like they were born knowing how to work Apple products. I had an iPhone for years before they did and they still somehow know more than me. My parents on the other hand, were able to adapt, but they still know way less than me. This is echoed in my educational past. Growing up, my teachers always had issues working technology, whether it was opening a PowerPoint or even just turning on the projector. Myself and other students were always helping them figure out how to fix the problems they encountered, even if it was just turning something on. I wouldn't say it ever got in the way of my learning, though, because they were capable of teaching without the technology, but they also had us IT experts at their disposal. While growing up I always joked that I would never be the teacher who couldn't open a PowerPoint, I look at how fast educational technology has continued to grow and I doubt myself a little more now. However, while I'm not necessarily a "digital native," I think I did learn the skills to be able to adapt better than my teachers were able to.
Computational thinking is surely something new to a lot of people because we haven't learned any programming language. However, it emphasizes on the ability to break the big task down to small pieces that can be solved by computer automation. I hope I can introduce some of the content to you guys later in the semester. It is not hard and in fact a lot of fun!
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