I Love Paper, but I Guess Technology Is Okay

For 6th Grade, I am most comfortable with the ELA standard regarding using online resources for definitions and synonyms. I have been using such websites for many years now, and it would not be hard to adapt to more student-friendly ones. The Wordsmyth website gives the part of speech, different definitions, some basic synonyms, and what words it was derived from. This puts everything into one place, unlike Dictionary.com. The standard I am least conformable with is using multimedia aspects to "clarity information". I normally find that adding in a bunch of fluff can actually confuse and distract the student, so the struggle for me will be to use multimedia effectively. The standard suggests using graphics software, audio recorders, and move creators. For some subjects in history, it can be helpful to provide some cultural context in music, art, and video/audio clips, which would fulfill this standard. One of the resources I have found helpful is the list of standards,...

As a student, I've used Microsoft Word primarily for writing essays and papers. I was taught the very basics, for nothing besides some simple formatting troubleshoot was ever required. My teachers used it to present instructions on the computer and in paper form, to send home newsletters, and to do any basic computer work that PowerPoint was excessive. My teachers primarily used PowerPoint in class, because an interruption would not be needed for a new document, allowing the teacher to move at their own pace. I actually did not know how to do the majority of the skills we have learned in class, and I now know how to use Word better and not be as frustrated with it! In my experience, my teachers generally did not have a lot of problems with copyright, but they also took as much as they could without having to pay to use a document. In band, for example, sheet music is expensive but very hard to get illegally, so my band director had to pay for the music he wanted to play, which to...

Teachers and students are influenced to use technology because they are expected to do so, at least in early education. As students get older and become more experienced with technology, they figure out how to use it in their own way and to achieve goals, such as finding help on homework, writing a research paper, and other projects. Teachers are usually encouraged to use more technology in their classrooms by the administration and by examples of other teachers. Although teachers learned technology some twenty plus years before, they can largely teach young students the basics required to learn newer technologies on their own. My experience with computers, online games, and phones  when I was younger made it easier for me to learn to use a smartphone when my parents had them. One ISTE standard for educators I like is the "Learner" standard, which includes setting professional learning goals, developing personal learning networks, and staying current with education research...

Hello again! This idea of an online Personal Learning Network actually sounds really cool! I love Pinterest to gather ideas, but using actual social media to talk to others and read their thoughts seems very helpful. My Twitter account is @Michela_FSU, and the class one is @eme_2040. See you there!