Blog Journal One

I think there are several contributing factors that lead to students and teachers alike wanting to incorporate technology in the classroom. Our world is ever evolving and developing and there is a definite desire to have this represented in the classroom, providing students with the best possible jumping off place and equipping them with the best materials that we as a society have. With new technologies come new ways to grow and learn that previous generations didn’t have access to, and wanting better for coming up generations than those before them is a very universal want in the education system. I think there is also a certain level of desire for students to be prepared for what they will face in the new world that they are being brought up in. Our world is becoming more complex and tech reliant by the day, and by including this in their learning spaces we are assuring that students will be comfortable with this level of technology and best prepared for a world that is so reliant upon it.

I think that the ISTE standards are great starting points in making sure classrooms are utilizing technology in a way that will benefit both the educator and the student as much as possible. I think however that if they were enforced in every classroom there would be a conflict as different people learn in different ways and for some technology doesn’t propose any meaningful contribution to their learning experience. Because of this I think they’re good concepts to keep in mind when technology is in use in the classroom but not something that is particularly applicable to everyone and their teaching/learning style. On a personal level I identify the most with the “Learner” standard as even when I am in a teaching setting I like to leave myself open to the knowledge of others and work with them to further both of our understandings of a topic. I also personally struggle with the “Designer” standard as I don’t really use technology in order to create learning situations. I use it more to present information as opposed as a way to teach through experience, and this could be something I could possibly consider experimenting with in the future.

For myself the terms “digital native” and “digital immigrant” make sense on a very basic level, but then begin to fall apart upon closer examination. It is true that for the most part that those of us who belong to the more recent generation hold a higher level of expertise when it comes to technology. However this is only due to familiarity and practice, which can be seen when there are individuals within this generation that are unable to operate newer technologies and those in past generations who are able to do so with ease. As such, even those of us who are in a recent generation and considerably tech savvy might one day find ourselves not being able to keep up with the evolution of technology and inevitably fall behind in our ability to use the latest innovations. These terms thus are useful when speaking broadly, but should not be expected to always hold true. If we think about these terms in this way they can then be useful to us in conversations that revolve around technology and the general gap of capability that seems to be present between generations.