Blog #2

Hey! Welcome back to my blog:)

When it comes to word processing software, I have experience using both Microsoft Word and Google Docs. When I was in elementary school, I did not have a computer of my own, so I would mainly use our family desktop computer to type up different documents. On that computer, we had both MS Word and Google Docs, so I got to explore both softwares before I really needed to use them. In middle school, we were required to use Google Docs so we could share our papers with different teachers, and I quickly became very comfortable using that software. I feel as though it is a very easy software to navigate and has so many different fonts, formats, and other options to choose from when crafting a paper or document. In high school, I stuck to Google Docs because I knew how to use it well and liked that I already had all of my documents from both middle and high school in the same place. However, when I got to college, many of my professors required us to use MS Word because the format of the software made it easy to submit through Canvas. I am definitely still becoming comfortable with using MS Word, but I feel as though I will come to enjoy using it the more I work with it.

The most meaningful ISTE standard to me is "learner." The one way for educators to improve their teaching skills is to continue to learn new things that will help empower their students to become better learners. Whether that be about a fun new classroom game or some sort of new technology, teachers must always be open to learning new things. Teachers can learn from other teachers, such as those who have more experience and have been in the field of education for a long time. By sitting down with more experienced teachers, new teachers can find ways to build their classroom management skills or better the overall nature of their classroom environment. Teachers can also learn from their students and be open to navigating how their students react to certain activities or classroom expectations.

I definitely agree with the term "digital native" when describing today's youth. Children today are born into a world that is run by technology and many learn from a very young age how to navigate different types of technology, especially iPads. I worked in the after-school program at a local preschool when I was in high school and there were four-year-olds in the program who knew how to use an iPad better than I did. It was pretty crazy to see the impact that technology has had on children even as young as four-years-old. Even for those who are my age, technology has always been a part of our lives. I have used some form of technology throughout my entire school career and continue to find new technological aids as I continue into college. There is also definitely a major difference between my experience with technology and my teachers' experiences. The technology that we know today wasn't a thing when many of my teachers were in school, and now they must learn how to navigate it. They have to figure out different ways to incorporate technology into the classroom because students today are so used to using the Internet and technology to complete things as simple as everyday tasks.

When I have a classroom of my own, I believe that there will definitely be a difference between what I know about technology and what my students will know about technology. The students that I will be teaching are the ones growing up in this ever-changing, technological world, and they will probably know how to navigate technology pretty nearly from the time they are born. While I do believe that there are benefits to having technology in the classroom, I also feel as though students need some time during their day when they are away from technology, where they can grow in their creativity and strengthen their brains through traditional learning, instead of learning through a screen. I hope that I can incorporate this idea into my classroom one day. I hope that I will be able to supply my students with different technologies that will strengthen their learning, while also bringing to the table different ways that students can expand their thinking and imagination in a way that does not require the use of technology.