Journal Post #4

So far in my edtech Twitter journey, I have found it interesting and rewarding. At the start, I was unsure of how it would work and the appropriateness of an educational Twitter; however, I now feel that this form of communication with other teachers is revolutionary and extremely useful. I have been following several teacher-based accounts, but my favorite one is the “EdTech K-12 Magazine”. This account posts everything from interactive quizzes about technology to interesting articles that note innovative classroom technology. One article that really caught my attention was about how teachers can make an immersive lesson using virtual reality, something I never would have thought about. I feel like this really shows its value to educators and my future career, sharing these unique ideas with the educational community so we can all move forward and progress as a unit. I might never have thought of using educational technology this way, and often times they tell you how to reach your technology goals by listing grants to apply for or explaining how to do group tech projects on a budget. Twitter has been an extremely useful resource in getting new ideas for my future classroom and figuring out the means to do so. I may have questioned the validity of Twitter, but now I really appreciate the access to a community of experienced educators to guide and help me develop my skills and the way I use technology in my classroom.

The digital divide creates a large gap between the success rates of students with and without computer access. Students without a computer available have to work twice as hard to find and get access to a computer in their area; while, students with a computer have no trouble completing their work and can do it right at home. Naturally, the students without a computer often are less successful because half the battle of completing their work is just finding a place to do it. Some causes of this divide include living in a rural area without readily available access to the internet or computers, income related issues of the parents, and only having access to old computers in public spaces so the students is left behind in despite technological progress of the rest of the world. It is imperative for teachers to help these students learn to use modern equipment in order to prepare them for a technological world. When I am a teacher, it is very probable that a student won’t have access to a computer or internet at home or they have to use the library computers to do their work. To allow for equal learning between my students, without discriminating against those without computers, I could give that student a hard copy of what the other students do online, or I could rent out computers to the students without access so they can do their work and develop their computer skills. I can also incorporate more technology-based assignments in class, so that students without a computer at home can learn to use one provided to them and focus on the quality of their work.

In my future classroom, I expect that I will be using drill-and-practice software and graphic software the most. I want to teach first to second graders, so I need to the technology I incorporate to hold their attention to allow for real learning, as opposed to just paying around on a computer. I feel as though drill-and-practice software will be rather useful, because I can use programs with interesting graphics and interactive games to see if the students understand the material and can apply it. I can also use these programs frequently, maybe two to three times a week with a different program each day, to see the progress a student is making overtime. Using these programs with disparity will allow for it to remain interesting and interactive, so they don’t become bored doing the program. I also think that using graphics software will allow for students to learn how to follow instructions and use basic tool bars, while having fun. This style of software will help the younger students learn to navigate a tool bar and recognize commonly used computer symbols, as they express themselves by creating fun drawings and graphics. Conversely, I don’t think that I will be using too much reference software, because it is above the young students’ level and will quickly lose their attention. This style of software is just too advanced and complicated for them to understand and, as a result, they will be frustrated and being to hate using the program. This would not allow for learning, instead the students would withdraw from the classroom and sit there, doing little to nothing, until they feel like they can actually participate in an activity they can do.