Blog Journal #2
I can remember using Microsoft Word as a student in middle school to write papers for class and to type up the different parts of my science fair project. In high school, I took a computer competency class my freshman year in which we focused on learning and mastering the different Microsoft Office products, including Microsoft Word in which I am certified in. But at some point in high school I started using Google Docs and now that is the only word processing software I use, unless prompted otherwise by a professor. The reason I prefer Google Docs over Microsoft Word is because I like how I can access my work from any computer and how multiple people can work on the document at the same time and collaborate together.
The ISTE Standards for Educators consist of different goals for educators to put in place to help students succeed. After looking at the list of standards, 2.1 Learner is the one that is the most meaningful to me. This standard calls for educators to continuously improve upon their teaching by learning from others and staying up-to-date with current research about student’s learning. I think that it is important for teachers to adapt to their students' needs and not always stick to one way of teaching if there are ways for them to improve and facilitate better learning for their students. I think that trying to apply different approaches to teaching helps students grow and creates a better learning environment for all students.
I personally do believe that the label “digital native” does apply to today’s youth. A digital native is someone who has a relationship with technology because they grew up with it, essentially from birth. Almost everyone in my generation knows how to use different technological products with varying degrees of ability. I have seen differences in how I use technology versus how my teachers use it. My teachers who are older do not like to use technology in their teachings, whereas my teachers who are younger are more willing to implement technology into their teaching plans. I think in the future, technology is going to play an even greater role than it does now in learning and virtually everything will be taught through the use of technology.
I think badges are a fun incentive in learning. Sometimes knowing that there is something for you to earn for accomplishing a task makes doing the task more bearable. My competitive soccer coach used to give us patches to put on our bags when we did certain things and it was like earning badges. For example, showing up to every practice in the season would earn you a patch or playing a really good game could also earn you a patch. These patches made practices and games more fun and pushed us to work harder because there was some sort of reward for showing your drive.
Hello Savannah! This was a great post and I enjoyed reading your insights into the ISTE standards. I 100% agree that it is important for teachers to keep on learning in order to improve their teaching and improve the learning of their students. I think its important to remember that learning doesn't stop once you graduate, and the learner standard highlights that fact perfectly. I have to agree with Google Docs being great for collaboration, but Word will always have my preference! I also think you were spot on about badges being a fun incentive for learning, I think they can be used as a great way to encourage students! Thanks for the great post, I look forward to reading future posts of yours!
ReplyDeleteHey Savannah, I agree that once I discovered Google Docs it has been my default word processing software since then. It helps that its cloud service allows me to access my documents from any device in case I need them. The 2.1 Learner standard is one that I feel as if every teacher should push towards. Just how every student has to deal with different types of teachers, teachers have to deal with different types of students, and knowing how to connect with them and be able to provide them efficient and quality instruction should be a priority for every teacher. In reference to the digital native, I believe that older generations can get accustomed to using new technology if there is proper training being provided for them. For younger generations, the training is barely needed since they already are so accustomed to using that type of technology in their day-to-day lives. I agree that badges can make tasks and games more interesting since there is the incentive of reward attached to their actions. It just makes things more fun and allows the students to have competitions.
ReplyDelete