Blog Post #1

Computers are an important part of the educational experience because technology is a big part of life nowadays. Using computers in the classroom teaches kids how to properly use them when in and out of school. It can also be important for those who do not have access to computers outside of school as this may be their only way to learn technological skills. Some concerns are that sometimes teachers will have their students use the computers too much and it will take away from actual learning. Another criticism is that cursive is not being taught in some schools anymore due to everything being done on computers. I think that is the most important criticism because I felt like learning cursive was very important in my learning experience and children now should have those same experiences.

  I feel like the ISTE standards are not too much to ask, however I also feel like teachers should have the choice of how much and what technology they want to use in their classrooms. One standard that I feel is outside of my current skill set is the 'Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments' standard. I feel this way because I currently don't know how to design or adapt learning experiences that incorporate digital tools very well.

  I do not agree with the label "digital native" for today's youth. Not all children had the privilege of growing up around technology so the term cannot apply to all youth. A digital native refers to someone who grew up in the digital age. The differences I have seen between myself and my teachers use of technology is that some of my older teachers throughout the years were not as proficient in using technology and often had to ask the students for help. I anticipate to have to adapt to whatever technology my future students will be using. Technology is constantly updating so i'm assuming that by the time I am a teacher the youth of America might be using new technology that I do not know much about

Twitter Name

@JenniferKFSU

Blog #0

I have had pretty basic experiences when it comes to technology. I use a laptop frequently, however I mostly just use the internet or Microsoft Word. I know the basics of power point, but I never learned how to effectively use Excel. I feel confident that I know how to use technology enough to get by in life, but since I want to be a teacher I would like to become more proficient in using technology.
I hope to learn a great deal about using technology in the classroom to teach this semester. I want to be an elementary school teacher and I feel like learning these technological skills would really benefit me. I would like to learn more about how to use Excel since I have limited knowledge about it. I would also like to learn how to use multiple areas of technology together in order to effectively get information disseminated.
By taking the learning styles quiz, I learned that in some areas I am not very particular in how I like to learn, but in other areas I am very particular. I scored a 7 in the sensing learner category which means I prefer ideas and theories to be related to real world concepts in order for me to understand them. I scored a 3 in the sequential category which means that I prefer for information to be presented in a sequential order. It is easier for me to understand the information being given if it is presented like this. I often get confused when information is sporadic or unorganized. I scored a 1 for both active and verbal learning styles. In these categories I only have a slight preference towards learning these ways, but can easily adapt if the information is presented differently.