#3 - Continued

Due to some extremely frustrating technical issues all I have to offer you of my newsletter are some screenshots taken during my break

#3 - We Have Standards

     Among the ISTE standards, there are a series of standards for many of the different fields of education. One of the is the ELA standards, or English Language Arts standards. Among these standards, I feel most comfortable teaching the standard that encourages students to cite their sources while communicating with the world. As we saw last night in the debate, citing your sources and grounding your words in truth can prove to be very helpful in many ways. I feel most comfortable teaching this standard because I feel so strongly about citing sources. I still, however feel under prepared to teach students how to use technology strategically and capably. I don't feel I have the creativity to come up with clever ways to engage my students in technology.


     I'm getting my degree in education so I can go on to teach English as a second language to refugees in Nashville. My students would range from all ages, and so would my content and application of technology. For example, some students may not be familiar with computers, so their knowledge of digital citizenship (the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use) would be extremely minimal and need to be cleverly integrated into their learning of the English language. The language barrier would make this difficult. Learning some of the norms of technology would prove useful when assimilating into American culture because it is so regularly used in our country. Because I'm unfamiliar with the exact teaching process of the organization I plan to work for, I am unsure how I would go about integrating technology into my lessons.


     This week we had to create a newsletter for class. I have always wanted to find an excuse to use a border on Microsoft Word so learning and using this tool was quite fun. The entire assignment was fun. I enjoyed playing pretend and making up a class, and students, and community. I did however procrastinate, so I would have like to have seen what I could have created, had I given myself more time. Here is my newsletter:

#2 - Words and Rights

     As a student, Microsoft Word is very handy. I have used it for a number of different things. It is a necessity when writing essays for school, and I thoroughly enjoyed writing senseless fictional tales on Word when I was younger. Looking back on it, I'm realizing that I have very rarely seen a teacher use word, I have only seen the product of them using word: like a printed syllabus or test. The steps it took them to make those documents has never been given much thought by me. One thing that is universal for all users, is that we all use it to create.
   

     Copyright laws are something that I have also not paid much mind to. I generally just try to avoid anything that could remotely be infringing on copyright laws because the consequences of not doing so are so severe. As a teacher I would continue to hold myself to this self-constructed policy. In doing so I would create learning materials where credit was properly given. I would also encourage my students to do the same. Copyrighting something is fun for no one. The perpetrator has to worry about getting caught, the one who catches them has to handle the situation, and the person's work who was stolen is without credit.

   
     Using twitter has taught me about important ideas and concepts, and not so important ideas and concepts. For example, through my use of Twitter I have figured out a new genre of communication I can have with my colleagues and peers. I can use Twitter as a unique platform to reach a unique audience and learning how to navigate the social media has allowed me to better understand a new and popular technology. Twitter, however, has also provided me with the ability to craft witty statements in my head about life that are 140 characters or less. In my future career, Twitter as well as other personal learning networks can allow me to better connect to those I teach with and provide me with rich, special content that wouldn't be reachable otherwise.

#1- Computers, yeah?

     Hello again everyone. I'm going to begin today's post by explaining why I think computers are an integral part of educating America. Computers are a gateway for indescribable amounts of knowledge. Computers provide humans with access to everything from recipes to formulas for solving math equations to the year some obscure European artist who is famous for one painting was murdered. Computers can be used to construct power points, and tests, and a number of other important classroom necessities. However, this knowledge and power can be used for good or evil. Some critical concerns I have revolving around students and teachers using computers for their schooling are as follows:     

       

     Students can become reliant on their computers to solve their problems for them. Why learn how to solve that math problem when Google will do it for you? Why retain any knowledge you're learning if you can just pull it up on the internet in a matter of seconds?

     I have found in the past that teachers can attempt to use computers as a substitute for legitimate, productive, work. If any of my readers are familiar with the site Edmodo (essentially the social media outlet of public schools), I more than once had teachers who thought that by assigning students to read an online article and respond with their feelings to their classes' Edmodo page that they were assigning to their students thought provoking, and engaging work. This just simply isn't the case. I fear that both students and their teachers become reliant on computers and try to make them out to be a kind of device that they are not. A device that can surpass the weight and power of an engaging, hands on assignment. I feel as though computers should be used to aid these assignments (if necessary) not be forced into curriculum because everyone else is doing it.

     ISTE is the International Society for Technology in Education. This society has created standards for students and teachers when it comes to using technology in education. One standard I agree with is the first. It reads, "Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity". This standard states that teachers should "engage in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources". I adore this standard because technology does, without a shadow of a doubt, have the power to solve real-world issues and solve authentic problems. Teachers have the power to teach their students how to use computers for good and equip them with the tools to seek out all of the information and knowledge technology has to offer. 

     A standard that is outside of my current skill set is the standard that reads, "Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments". This standard speaks for itself and in my current state of mind, one which I want encourage teachers to not become dependent on developing technology, I don't feel I am fit and have a mind that is geared towards "developing technology-rich learning environments" for students. 

     Google defines a "digital native" as "a person born or brought up during the age of digital technology and therefore familiar with computers at an early age". This is a title I do not agree with. Just because my peers and I are fluent with the technology we use now does not mean that we will not soon be in the very place our parents and elders stand now. Technology is developing at a rapid rate and soon myself and others my age will be lost in a sea of technology our children will be proficient in. Teachers of mine who did not grow up around technology respond differently to computers than I do, but that is expected and so common in schools that I never much paid any regards to it. Future students will soon surpass me and my title of "digital native" and that is okay.