post #1

Teachers are influenced to use technology in the classroom because it enhances their teaching strategies. For example using a smart board now eliminates the need to write things out as done in the past with Blackboards. Another example are podcasts that cut back on the lecture time in the classroom in order to engage students in class participation activities. Also, students are more attracted to the use of technology since today’s students are ambassadors of the new technological era of tablets, Turn-it in, Safe-Assign, and virtual education. The use of technology has become a lifeline between teacher and student as it enables quick and open communication, collaboration, accountability and networking.

The ISTE standards provides an inclusive guide for understanding the different roles that technology supports and enhances the educational experience for students. The standard that stands out the most with me is the Knowledge Constructor as it outlines the important ways that research can be performed and how important it is that the research is verified and accurate. Sharing knowledge with others provided it is verifiable and the information has relevance to real word issues, creating theories, promoting ideas is essential to the continued evolution of mankind. The standard that is out of my current skill set would be the Global Collaborator as I am a digital immigrant, my skills are still quite green in the technological communication grid. I understand how vital it is to be able communicate globally and share ideas across the world digitally rather than traveling to another location. There are many methods now for digital communication, such as facetime, open voice meeting, etc. I expect to learn a great deal about the use of technology in this class.

My situation is unique as I am an older student, therefore I am considered a digital immigrant but I still have an opinion to share and fell that the term digital native is appropriate as the more recent generations have been born into an era of technology where this is the only way they have known. While the other so-called immigrants have had to go through the acculturation process of learning how to be technologically savvy, thereby changing the way things where done before. For example some of us digital immigrants learn the minimum to get by while the digital natives understand the technology thoroughly. An example would be teacher that refuse to use Blackboard and upload grades on regular basis. This impacts students because they are unaware of how they are doing in a class and this can be the difference between passing or failing. I anticipate catching up with the current technology and being on the same level as my students so that there is an efficient and useful standard being used that allows for the communication between my students and I is effective. Also as a teacher being on their level of technological use can only enhance their learning experiences.