Coming into teaching I knew that technology was going to be a huge factor. Any 21st century teacher would say that. I am not as
caught up in technology as all of my friends are. I should be, considering I was just shy a year from being born in the IGeneration time.
The way technology was advancing so quickly it felt that I was growing with the technology. When I was young, a game console
would come out every year it seemed. There was always something more advanced that people would buy, they were curious and it
was the latest trend. Being born in this time I was hoping I would be more tech savvy. Technology has some downfalls yet it has many
benefits. A lot of those benefits can be used in a classroom. When I am a teacher I plan on using to what is at my disposal.
As I was reading the text something caught my eye because I never heard this term before, digital identity. I find it interesting that no
matter where a teacher goes they are going to be expected to be a 21st century teacher. I know there are amazing teachers out there that
are having trouble with the technology, which is sad because it will be harder to get hired. Not only does a teacher’s digital identity fall
under resumes, it also ties into social media. Social media can be very dangerous for a teacher. It is important to watch what is being
posted. In the text book, "Transferring Learning with New Technologies" says how social media can be used in a positive way. Such
as, sharing what lessons were taught to the class on social media and parents will have a better idea of who you are as a teacher. Social
as, sharing what lessons were taught to the class on social media and parents will have a better idea of who you are as a teacher. Social
media then will help build teachers digital identity.
It is important to have the skills of a 21st century teacher, yet it is not all about knowing how to use the technology in the classroom.
As a teacher I will have to know how to apply the technology to efficient learning. I do not want to forget that every student learns
differently. In my classroom I will address all learning styles and incorporate them into my lessons. From the text, "Transforming
Learning with New Technologies", they talk about highly interactive and inquiry based learning environments. Highly interactive is
when you are using the technology offered to you while being interactive with the students and having them still create, process, and
evaluate information. Inquiry based means, as a teacher you are still preparing and delivering the lessons in ways the students will
understand. The students are required to think critically over the lesson.
In conclusion, I am glad to be taking a class that will be teaching me technology. It is important to use what is up to date as a teacher
when it comes to technology. There are so many possibilities for what technology can do in the classroom. When I become a teacher I
will work on my digital identity, by doing so can lead to more positive outcomes. While having all this technology is amazing as a
teacher I still need to know how to have my students think outside the box and to not completely rely on technology.
Resources:
Maloy, R. (2011). Transforming learning with new technologies. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
Membership. (n.d.). Retrieved September 5, 2015.
Social Networking Nightmares. (n.d.). Retrieved September 5, 2015.
Yay! You got your first post on your first blog!! :) Congratulations
ReplyDeleteThe points that resonated with you are good ones - ones that you'll likely build upon over the semester's time. A good start on your reflective writing - a skill that you will further develop as you get some additional posts on this blog. You also did an awesome job in finding a couple of relevant and hyperlinked websites, adding in an embedded video and resources- excellent!
The things to work on for the next blog post: 1) Not sure what caused the funky formatting, but it is difficult to read with double spacing and broken sentences - hope you can make sure all is more 'typical' in future posts. :) 2) To build your reflective writing a bit more, check the three sections in the graphic on the assignment page - Connect, Extend, Challenge - and incorporate in your writing - you have a start of it, but this may help! 3) Try adding a Creative Commons licensed photo to provide more visual to your blog - it is tough to just read text these days of multimedia. 4) Please use APA formatting for your citations and be sure to always use complete information (including URL if it is web-based). For example, your textbook is missing additional authors - if you use a citation generator, such as Citation Machine, you can see the results of the YouTube video resource:
Crouch, E. (2013, January 31). IPads in the Classroom. Retrieved September 7, 2015, from https://youtu.be/IzSNdxsfk0Q
This citation is much more complete, giving credit to the creator, and also provides the reader with the URL that can lead them back to the original work (which is another reason you provide a resource).
Overall, a great first post - keep up the good work. :)