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Blog Post #2

Until college, my word processing software of choice was always Microsoft Word. It was easily accessible on my computer and it was often the recommended software by my teachers. When I started at FSU, I saw that most people often used Google Docs for their assignments. I tried it, and began to see the benefits of using Google over Microsoft. I like Google Docs better because I have felt there is more consistency with the documents automatically saving. I have lost progress with my Microsoft documents because they did not automatically save for me. Secondly, I love that I can access the Google Docs app on my phone, working on assignments from my computer then to my phone with ease. This has saved me on multiple occassions from turning in something late, since I had another device to work on the assignment when technology fails.

Of the ISTE standards, the one that stood out to me the most was the standard for being a learner. This is important because as teachers and educators, we should always strive to learn and improve. It is necessary to reflect on our teaching practices and the fact that the way people learn changes over time. Could we have predicted even just ten years ago how impactful technology could be on our learning? How much more of a role will it play in the future? As educators, we should continue to research and stay in tune with the most effective ways to connect with our learners. Technology plays such a vital role in the everyday lives of our youth. In recognizing that, we should aim to use technology to the best of our ability to improve their learning. Using personal learning networks and online platforms to improve our learning, we can hold ourselves accountable and use the best practices for our students' learning outcomes.

The term, "digital native" is one that I do not completely agree with. I think the premise of the term accurately describes today's youth, since they are "native speakers" of technology and the internet. "Digital natives" were born into a time where technology and the internet were dominant in the world around them and greatly influenced their worldview. I believe there is some truth in the distinctions between "digital natives" and "digital immigrants", but I do not agree with all of the assumptions Mark Prensky makes about their differences. The assumption I disagree most with is that people born into a digital world know how to use technology better than those who were born before it. I think someone's ability to use technology and the internet is completely subjective, rather than based on when they were born. Many of my teachers use technology with more ease than I can. I think I have learned a lot more about using technology from my "digital immigrant" teachers as they have passed knowledge on to me in classes such as this one. The foundation for a lot of my learning on a computer goes back to STEM classes I took in middle and high school, navigating the internet in an intentional and educational way. I feel that as I have gotten older and more used to social media applications and the internet, I have discovered more about navigating technology from those my own age, or other "digital natives."  I feel there will be a lot I have to learn about the next generation's learning habits and use of technology, as it will only influence our lives more and impact teaching in new and better ways. I will have to adapt and see how the next generation of "digital natives" views technology in an even more vital way than I do now.

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