Blog Journal 1 (Due 9/11)

There are many reasons why both teachers and students are using technology more and more in the classroom setting. For teachers, it is now becoming a standard and expectation that they are teaching and using technology. Therefore, it is foundational for a proficient teacher to be technologically literate. State and national organizations such as the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) and the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) are creating the expectation that teachers incorporate technology into students' everyday learning, and as well communicate with peers, students, and parents through technology. Students are also expected to participate in learning through the use of technology, as technology can lead to higher thinking, more creativity, and it is an easy way for teachers to assess students' competency.

Overall, I found the ISTE standards to be more in depth and extensive than I expected. For the most part, the student standards make sense to me. I found the "Digital Citizenship" standard particularly meaningful to me, because I think it is important with the ever-growing use of technology, that students know how to use the internet and resources it provides in a responsible way. There are ways in which the internet can help students, but if they are not taught how to use it in a responsible manner, it can become detrimental to their future and even possibly dangerous. One standard that seems outside of my skill set right now, as a potential future educator, is the standard that requires teachers to "design/develop digital age learning experiences and assessments." This sounds like a lot of time and responsibility added to the already large workload teachers have. I would not know how to do this in an efficient and effective way.

I absolutely agree with calling today's youth "digital natives". I often notice a huge difference in the knowledge and proficiency my peers have with technology as opposed to my teachers, professors, and parents. It seems to come naturally to the younger generation. Even though I don't consider myself as technologically savvy as most people my age, it is sometimes frustrating to sit in a classroom where the professor is struggling constantly with technology. I anticipate a continued gap in the literacy of technology with my future students and I, because they will be raised with different technology than I am used to. This means that in order for me to be the most effective teacher I can be, I will need to keep up with developing technology, and take the time to grow more proficient in my weak areas with technology.