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. I believe that it's important to always be learning new information to stay current for the students. My teachers knew enough about PowerPoint and how to use a computer to teach us, but when the new interactive whiteboards came out, most of my teachers struggled. Only the ones who had spent time playing with it and used a lot of technology in their personal lives understood it. One standards that is outside of my current skill set is the "Designer" standard. I only know how to use the computer to make basic files and use the Internet for research, but this standard requires the creation and design of learning activities. Hopefully I will learn how to use my computers to their fuller potential in order to better serve my students.
I agree with the label "digital native" for today's youth because children are always surrounded by technology. Even if parents don't give their children personal devices until they're older, children are still exposed to televisions, computers, the parents' phones, family tablets, interactive whiteboards at school, and more. They learn how to use the technology at a very young age and learn how to troubleshoot and think in a way that optimizes device use. Digital natives are very quick with technology, but some, like myself, do not know how to use the computer to its fullest potential. Digital immigrants, since they have to learn how to use the technology after they've matured, often have to understand the whole system in order to learn it. My father has been using computers since they began to be used in the workforce, and he knows how to use the computer almost better than anyone my age. Although most of my teachers did not learn how to used technology that well, they were still helpful in giving me the foundation needed to expand on my own. I don't like using technology that much, but I will try to keep up with what is new and exciting. I know my students will be more intuitive in using the technology, but I still have more years of experience with technology and the Internet to guide them with.
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. I believe that it's important to always be learning new information to stay current for the students. My teachers knew enough about PowerPoint and how to use a computer to teach us, but when the new interactive whiteboards came out, most of my teachers struggled. Only the ones who had spent time playing with it and used a lot of technology in their personal lives understood it. One standards that is outside of my current skill set is the "Designer" standard. I only know how to use the computer to make basic files and use the Internet for research, but this standard requires the creation and design of learning activities. Hopefully I will learn how to use my computers to their fuller potential in order to better serve my students.
I agree with the label "digital native" for today's youth because children are always surrounded by technology. Even if parents don't give their children personal devices until they're older, children are still exposed to televisions, computers, the parents' phones, family tablets, interactive whiteboards at school, and more. They learn how to use the technology at a very young age and learn how to troubleshoot and think in a way that optimizes device use. Digital natives are very quick with technology, but some, like myself, do not know how to use the computer to its fullest potential. Digital immigrants, since they have to learn how to use the technology after they've matured, often have to understand the whole system in order to learn it. My father has been using computers since they began to be used in the workforce, and he knows how to use the computer almost better than anyone my age. Although most of my teachers did not learn how to used technology that well, they were still helpful in giving me the foundation needed to expand on my own. I don't like using technology that much, but I will try to keep up with what is new and exciting. I know my students will be more intuitive in using the technology, but I still have more years of experience with technology and the Internet to guide them with.
Yes, to be great teacher you have to be a great learner. Not only because we need to keep up with the time but you need to constantly learn from the students about their needs so that we can tailor our instruction to the group. Tech plays a very important role here because it help us to stay well-informed about the classroom.
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