Blog Post #1

We live in a very digital age and that age is only expanding every year with new technological advancements. These technical advancements have become an integral part in our daily lives as well as our educational system. First and foremost computers have revolutionized the classroom experience for both the students and the teachers. With the use of computers technology gives teachers new tools to present and communicate to the classroom. With this added focus on the classroom the teachers job is made mildly easier with the use of computers to make lesson plans, Power-Points and even drafting and distributing texts. technology has also managed to allow the teachers to communicate outside of the classroom via social networking and email to both parents of students and coworkers as well. The world is changing and the textbook clearly states that technology prepares the students for the modern world that we live in. We live in a world where many employers in this country will require their employees to be able to use technology and definitely be computers literate. Teachers must be able to find a balance however with incorporating technology in the class as to make sure they aren't distractions to the students. When teachers find this balance the integration of technology in the classroom is not only important to the students lives but also beneficial 

 When reviewing the ISTE standards the one I found most interesting is also the one that is currently not in my current skill set. That standard is about communicating and encouraging student learning and creativity. creativity is important as a teacher because without being creative oneself how can you bring out the creativity in a student. Unfortunately that is also the problem with me as I currently have no idea how I would encorporate creativity in the classroom as of right now but I hope to learn.  

The podcast we listened to defines digital natives as people being born and lived through technology where as digital immigrants adapt to technology to use it in the growing digital age we live in. At first I thought everyone in my generation is a digital native, but I was very naive as I learned in class their are several socioeconomic factors that effect this label. I still think that hopefully we will live in an age where everyone is a digital native as we are only growing in our use of technology and I fear that it will only be harder for those who aren't born into it to adapt because technology changes all the time throughout the years, making it more difficult for even digital immigrants. I've seen many teachers struggle or even refuse to use the technological advancements at hand and I think that only hinders the students we have to enter the digital world effectively. I hope the future students will live in a world where them and their peers are all digital natives or at least provided the tools they need to be digital immigrants.