Hey everyone!

So to just jump right into things, let's talk about our pal MS Word... We're all pretty familiar with it by now. Usually we use it to write papers or submit short assignments. Professor will often use it to distribute handouts and syllabi, etc. I haven't really used it for much else. Every once in a while I'll use the table function for a few things but otherwise it's just for writing papers.

As college students, copyright can be a touchy subject. Every once in a while you'll find a student who somehow got all their books online..... for free. And a lot of times we will misuse others' content and photos, not because we're intentionally violating their copyright status, but because we aren't really educated enough to discern between what is and isn't copyright. I think the best way as a teacher to promote practices following the Fair Use guidelines is to first set an example. If you implement them well, students will have a guide to go by. Then, if they do something wrong, it will be easier to identify. I also think it's very important for students to be extremely proficient in citation guidelines. Because we use copyright materials for so many things, it's important to teach them in its many uses. A lot of teachers only teach citation guidelines for research papers and aren't as strict in presentations or other media, which contributes to wide copyright misuse.

The first issue I would want to address in the classroom is cyberbullying, especially among younger students in middle school and high school. If students use social media for educational purposes, I think it's very important for the teacher to be just as active on social media. If their presence is made known, students are less likely cyberbully. This is not to say this will eliminate the problem, but perhaps alleviate it. Another strategy I would use to promote acceptable seems simple, but I think it would be really important. Having a good Adblock program on all educational technology would prevent the student from falling prey to potentially harmful clickbait. Lastly, I would teach students about the importance of internet content and maintaining a proper standing and reputation in the internet that accurately reflects who they are, so that they may protect their privacy.

Have a great rest of your weekend, and I'll see everyone in class!

There are many reasons why a teacher would integrate technology into the classroom. Technology helps the teacher with outside of the classroom tasks, such as administration, lesson planning, and communication, as well as inside the class with teaching. Have you ever had a professor who still uses a composition notebook for grading as opposed to an online program? The difference is pretty apparent. It makes their lives easier and helps them more efficiently plan for the class. Additionally, they can adapt to the students' different learning styles. Not everyone can learn through lecture, so technology provides the visual and interactive aspects to keep students engaged. Teachers may also be influenced to use technology because state standards are requiring that students be responsible citizens in technology. These two chapters actually coincide well with the ISTE standards. A good point the second chapter makes is that the information age requires students to be adaptable and innovative. A student can foster these skills through communication and practice, and track their progress through assessments. Lastly, technology gives equal access and opportunity to students with disabilities and students in underprivileged communities who may not have access to technology.

I really appreciate the ISTE standard for teachers that encourages their students to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity--especially the creativity part. Channeling learned information into innovative processes demonstrates proper achievement and advancement in the subject taught. But then it's funny because this is the one standard for students that I can't really identify with. I learned about certain media from a young age, but I feel like I learned about blogging, MS Excel, etc., too late, and in these areas, I feel like a digital immigrant. So I really do value teaching this to children, because it's a critical skill to have for later in life, especially when you're taking classes on education in technology.

The term "Digital Native" seems pretty accurate to describe youth in technology today. In short, this term is used for people who grew up in the modern world of technology; for example, most of us probably don't remember living without computers or phones, or at least we began using them very early on in life. In contrast, a Digital Immigrant is someone who first began using technology in their teens or early adult years. Though both types of people can become technologically proficient (or equally technologically impaired), the way in which they use technology differs. The podcast states that digital immigrants will often begin using different medias and devices by instruction, whereas digital natives would explore the same media and navigate it naturally. A lot of times, some of my teachers that I've become friends with on social media (primarily Facebook and Instagram) will use it to browse other people's feeds, but hardly post on their own. I did have one instructor Fall 2015 that encouraged us to use different medias for her class such as Tumblr and Twitter. In the end, it did help us communicate more with each other, and I liked that aspect. I'm scared for my future students because all of them are going to understand technology much better than I do. As time goes on, perhaps students will become more naturally adventurous with technology and more easily adaptable, which challenges instructors.