#1

In my opinion, a huge part of what influences teachers to use technology are standards of education, and the government organizations which determine how they teach children. It’s in the standards! It’s in the books! We have hybrid classes, we look up our grades online, there are a number of things that teachers are forced (for better or worse) to adopt to stay on the cutting edge of technology. Anything from a nation-wide education reform like No Child Left Behind, or a local event like a school receiving a technology grant can catapult teachers into accepting new and often useful tools. From there, it is up to the teacher to interpret how best to use the tools. Students don’t really choose to use technology in my opinion, they just use what the teacher and the learning standards sets in front of them. They may have a personal piece of technology like a PC to work and submit assignments on (like in our class!), or a communal resource that we use (like when Taehyeong uses the projector!). The point I’m making is students don’t have personal influences on the technology present in their classes, it’s determined by the higher powers in the hierarchy of the education system.

               I like the ISTE standards for the most part. They don’t focus on just making students increasingly efficient, but it seems that they really focus on broadening the perspectives and the tools for the student’s creativity. It empowers their personalities and interests, and avoids forcing them into narrow corridors of education advancement (COUGH COUGH STANDARDIZED TESTING). One standard that makes me happy is Student Standard #2 – Digital Citizen. I think that social constructs are important when you look at online manners and etiquette. We shouldn’t emplace some guidelines – let the court of social opinion deal with the rabble rousers. This standard insures that happens. One thing I’m not really sold in Teacher Standard # 2, “Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.” I just think we should be cautious about using technology for technology’s sake. If a lesson or activity can use actual physical tools better than available tech, then by all means stick to the tried and true.

               I don’t agree with the term “digital native”, purely for the fact that it sets expectations of proficiency on the people. I think whoever made the term was trying to make some catch-all phrase, and that’s just not how life works. When I was born, the internet had been around for a couple years already. By the time I grew up the first and SECOND generations of video gaming consoles were already aging. TV’s still had tin foil on the antenna. I’d say I’m a “digital native.” I still am not proficient with all of the mainstream tech of today, even though I’m a native, and I know many others share my experience. I see differences between the natives and immigrants, but largely because of how they apply themselves, not because of when they were born. Some older teachers I knew could use a computer better than I could, and some had to call the school tech support because they didn’t notice a student unplugged the projector as a prank. The impact its had on me is that I’ve realized technology is what you make of it. You have to have a competent user to not only interface with tech, but to know how to integrate it into the class room setting. I know I will have differences between myself and the next generations. There will be new tech I can’t even imagine, but I can do my best to apply myself and stay up-to-date with the emerging devices and techniques.