Blog Post #2

   In years past, I have used MS Word countless times, especially in high school. I used MS Word to write papers, create brochures, write notes, create pamphlets, and to help me with anything else that I needed to write down for school. I've seen my teachers use MS Word as well many times. Teachers use MS Word to create tests, quizzes, and assignments for their students to complete. My mom has been a teacher for 27 years, and MS Word is definitely one of the things she uses the most on her computer.

    In high school, Copyright definitely caused a lot of problems for students. When we were to write essays and complete assignments, we were to create them on a Google Doc and what would end up happening is that everyone would "share" their assignments to one another. Every teacher had a certain website that told each teacher if the assignment was plagiarized from anything on the internet, or another student's work. This website helped because students started to become more careful, but the problem was still occurring. As a teacher, I would make sure my students knew that I don't accept anything that has been copied, and they will automatically get a failing grade on any assignment that has been copied. As long as they try, and I see that they have put it effort, they will receive a good grade. When I am a teacher, I will be as fair as I can be with my students. The four factors of Copyright are Purpose- noncommercial educational purpose, Nature of work- portions of published work, Amount- smaller portion, and effect- should not make money. 

    New skills that I acquired from learning about Twitter and personal learning networks is being able to type someone's name in the search bar and it automatically saying if they follow you back or not. I have had a twitter for a while now, so I knew quite a lot already, but it still helped to go over everything and become better with using it. Now that I have an account for my social life, and one for this class, I will know how to use Twitter very well. After this assignment, I learned that this can help me with my future career because your social network is the web of connections you have with the people you know, the people they know and so on. Also, you can use Twitter and other social media to promote different things. What I love about Twitter is the fact that it can allow you to do so many different things for your career in one place.

Blog Post #1

1/19/16

     Computers are an important part of the educational experience because it is an integral thread woven into the fabric of our society. It assists us in our personal, academic, and professional lives. The ability to use technology has become an essential skill. We use computers to research information, get driving directions, make purchases, pay bills, to prepare students for contemporary life, and to interact with others. Even though computers are a significant part of the educational experience, there are some concerns with how teachers and students use them. Some concerns are that computers can only be effective if recognized as a component of and integrated into a framework of standards-based teaching and learning. Also, some concerns are students using the computer while the teacher is teaching a lesson, and instead of listening they're going on websites that they're not supposed to be on. Also, students are always relying on Google to answer their questions. Lastly, some teachers may be very old in age and not know how to use the required technology properly. Yes I strongly agree with the issues said in these chapters. 

     The ISTE standards are the most frequently applied set of technology standards for students and educators, in the field of technology. One standard that I like the best and agree with the most is critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. This is where student use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resourced. The Standard that seems outside my current skill set is Research and Information fluency, which is where students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. 

     A digital native is a person born or brought up during the age of digital technology and therefore familiar with computers and the Internet from an early age. I agree with what a digital native is because I believe that if you are raised by technology since you were little then you will most likely know how to handle technology better than other people who were not born during the age of digital technology. I have seen differences with how I use technology, and how older teachers use technology. Even though I'm not the best at using technology I'm still better than most teachers because most teachers barely know how to use technology. For example, my mom, who is a teacher, only knows how to use Facebook. But my generation uses multiple websites such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and more. Countless adults don't understand technology the way teenagers do, and that's because my generation was born when technology started becoming a big thing. I hope that once I become a teacher I will know how to use technology, just like my students, and that I will be able to teach them even more technology-based tactics. I don't want to be a teacher that doesn't know anything about technology. I think that in the next ten years technology will be even bigger than it is now. 

     

     

1/12/16

   I don't have much prior experience with using technology. I have an iPhone 6 right now as a phone, and a Macbook Air, as a computer. I have had many other different kinds of phones and computers in the past too. My family also has an iPad that we all use. I'm not the best when it comes to technology but if I am given proper direction, then it will most likely click. I mainly use technology to send texts, make calls, email my teachers, and go on social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I'm more of an old-fashioned paper and pen type of person, but I am excited to learn more about technology because I definitely need it. 

   I hope to learn a lot of different things in this class, especially things that I have no idea about. I hope that taking this technology class will help me in the future for when I am a teacher. This world is becoming so technology-based that I think technology classes would be useful for everybody. Teachers are also incorporating technology in so much that they do, so I'm grateful to be taking this course so that I can learn everything I need to know for my future classes.

   Today I learned that my learning style is fairly well-balanced on the two dimensions of each scale. My score for each scale was always in the middle and either a 1 or a 3. I like that I am well-balanced because that means that my learning style can be anything that I want it to be and I can help my students in different kinds of ways. I learned that the information that I am learning I am best at learning it in a hands on manner, visually, and just listening to what the person is teaching me.