Teachers and students are influenced to use technology in the classroom because they use it in their everyday lives already. In our growing age with technological advances, it is hard to stay completely away from using them. Technology also makes somethings easier to do, such as, communicating with students when they are outside of the classroom, or working as an extra resource to explain a subject. There are also many programs that aid students in their learning, especially in our fast paced society where everything is updating within the hour. Learning in our society has become almost a race and with the use of technology its one that can be won. I think teachers and students are influenced by technology in the classroom because it in some way or form is beneficial to just about everyone, if used properly.
The International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) supports the use of technology in the classroom. Under the standards for students the one most meaningful to me was Global Collaborator, which states, students use technology to broaden their world view and their learning by collaborating others. As someone from South Florida, there are many diverse cultures and peoples every where you look, and so it is important to incorporate all those differences in the classroom. It can be expensive for teachers to do so but technology offers a cheaper way because much of the information is just a click away. I think it is really important to incorporate and develop a world view because each student throughout the world learns in a different way and some methods specific to that culture or society any not be the best one for them, so it is important to collaborate with other groups to find the teaching strategies that work best for your students.
Another skill set listed on the ISTE website was Innovative Designer, which basically states students using technology as a way to be more creative and to think outside of the box. I feel this is outside my current skill set just because I am not yet familiar with all the different educational technologies. Since I do not know how to use the programs it makes it kind of hard to utilize them for creative purposes. I also lack creativity, it is very hard for me to think outside the box and this is one skill I really hope to gain throughout my college years.
The term "digital natives" is very interesting to me because when I hear the word natives, my mind instantly thinks of indigenous people belonging to a land. So when I heard it paired with digital, it made me look at technology in a different way. I never realized how involved its been in my life and how impactful as well. I would consider myself and today's youth "digital natives" because it is our generation that was born into the internet and smart phones, the world is become a technology based place and we were born into it being this way. We don't even blink at the idea of new software or iphones that seem to be released everyday. It has become second nature to us to the point that we cannot even leave our homes with out our cell phones or laptops and smart watches.
Being a digital native, means someone who literally cannot imagine a time before cellphones were invented or the internet. We use the internet for just about anything, opposed to the digital immigrants, such as our parents, who use the internet for what I like to consider, what it was made for, research, information and directions. Digital natives on the other hand go the extra mile and use the internet and technology as sources for companionship and communication or for a good laugh. This has made us use the internet as something that builds walls rather than break them, because although we are communicating online, it diminishes face to face communication and human interaction. Future students will use technology to do everything, and by this I mean to work their homes, schedule their lives, self piloting cars, transporting to new locations, the possibilities are endless. I truly believe future students will use technology to help them be lazier rather than for social purposes as we do.
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