Blog #2

Throughout my education I was taught to use Microsoft word and the other applications on Microsoft office. My schools paid for subscriptions for their students and I became accustomed to that format. We never used it excessively, the only time I stepped away from word was to create the occasional PowerPoint for a project. In my junior year my English teacher did all of our assignments through Google Docs. At the beginning of the year I tried converting her documents and templates over to Word because that was the platform I was used to, but it quickly became more trouble than it was worth and I caved in. As the year progressed I quickly noticed the convenience of Google Docs and it's affiliated programs. Most of my classmates used the same platforms and had google accounts, so it made sharing documents easier. I got more and more familiar with the programs produced by Google, and I slowly forgot how to operate Word, as I was used to the format of Google Docs. I am in the process of trying to relearn it because I think I will need it frequently for this class, but I can pretty confidently say that outside of this class I will remain loyal to Google.

I think the ISTE Standard that means to most to me is Citizen. This standard describes the educator's responsibility to make sure their students are conscientious of how they interact with others online, and to empathetic and positive with the content they create, especially regarding education. This is especially important to me because I have always focused on empathy in my own life and I believe it to be one of the most important traits a person can have. In this time where kids are starting on technology earlier and earlier, it is difficult to make sure they are not only behaving mindfully in person, but with their online presence as well. Technology has risen to such prominence that it is just as important to be careful online as it is in person. Educators will most likely be a student's introduction to the professional side of the internet, which is why I think it is so important they are being taught to behave respectfully through their contributions.

I agree with Prensky's idea about "digital natives." The comparison between technology and language in the way one is better prepared to exercise it well when exposed to it at a young age is not one I thought of before but fits very well. Even though I am not technically part of the digital age, as technology was still relatively new when I was born, I have noticed that I am able to look at and tackle technological problems faster than my parents or teachers. I never really thought about it too much, because when I was in elementary school there was an effort being made to make us familiar with the new technology in our hands, and I always accredited my knowledge to that. Looking, back, I don't know if I would be able to use technology in the way that I do if I had started to learn about it later on in my life. I know that as I got older I noticed my teachers struggle to pull up their presentations or get the projector to what they wanted. My classmates would shake their heads because to us, it was so simple. I can't even imagine what it must be like in those classrooms now. I worked as a counselor this summer at a day camp, and the amount of kids who spent time glued to their technology while surrounded by fun activities and other kids to run around with was insane to me. I had always heard stories like that but brushed it off thinking it was an over exaggeration. My six years olds were drawing themselves paper phones, and many of my campers would draw characters from videos games and apps on their phone rather than the rainbows and puppies I was expecting. From the time they were born these kids had technology in their hands, put there by parents who knew how to use it. It has had a significant affect on this digital generation, they know their devices inside and out, and choose to stay attached to it all day.