Blog #5

Hi! Welcome Back <3

Before taking this course, I was not much of a Twitter user, so it has definitely been interesting to see all of the resources available to me on the site. I have been able to connect with both Professor Choi and my classmates in a new way, which has been super fun. I followed many different education-related accounts that have given me a glimpse into some of the resources available to teachers in the education field. One account that I have found especially interesting is the Florida Department of Education, on which they post about different issues within the FDoE and some of the changes that are being put into place to help make education better in Florida. When I become a teacher, Twitter will be especially helpful for connecting with not only my colleagues but also teachers all over the nation to exchange different resources that we can use to help our students succeed. I am excited to have Twitter as a helpful resource during my college and future career.

Due to our current circumstances, the digital divide has definitely become a greater issue within the education system. With the majority of students having to be online, many are being left behind due to the lack of technological resources available to them. Students who are struggling financially have no way of purchasing resources of their own and are thus left unable to complete assignments. While many school boards have tried to supply these students with the resources they need, there is still a major divide between those who have access and those who do not. The divide between students creates difficulty for teachers when it comes to assigning lessons that will help students be successful. Many teachers must modify their assignments so they are available to students on both sides of the divide, which has made switching to online classes quite difficult. In my future classroom (and hopefully a COVID-19-free world), I believe it would be helpful to have time during the school day when students learn important computer and typing skills that will enable them to be successful. By supplying students with technological resources during the school day and working with them to strengthen their skills, I feel as though the digital divide may decrease slightly as those who do not have access to technology of their own are able to work on their skills while in the classroom.

Two software tools that I would like to implement in my future classroom are Canva and Google Slides. I feel as though both of these are great resources for the classroom because they are easy to use and great for different presentations or other projects. Canva would be helpful because it focuses a lot on graphic design and implementing different computer skills, which would be very beneficial to my students. I personally love Canva because it allows you to get creative with different posters, flyers, etc. and I want my students to be able to have that opportunity as well. Additionally, Google Skills would be a great resource because it again focuses a lot on the use of computer skills, formatting, and design and would be a great software for students to use when creating presentations. Both of these resources are easily accessible online and would be great assets to my future classroom.