Blog Post Two
During my K-12 school years, I was briefly introduced to Microsoft Word. I was taught the basics, such as how to change fonts and sizes, how to underline, bolden, and italicize, how to indent, etc. My teachers taught only the necessary material for writing up an essay. It wasn't until my sophomore year of high school when I began doing dual enrollment that I was taught how to navigate and fully utilize Word and its resources. I have recently began using Google Docs more often than I do Word; however, I still prefer Microsoft. The advantage of Google Docs is that by being an online platform, it is easily accessible. Despite this, I still find Word to be more resourceful and easier to navigate.
The ISTE Standards for Educators is an essential list of procedures for anyone in the education field. Following this list will not only make one a more efficient educator, it will also assist in developing deeper connections with colleagues and students, as well as promote a profound passion for the field. The standard that resonates with me the most is the Learner. It is imperative that an educator continues to expand on their knowledge even after gaining formidable experience in the field. I cannot count on one hand the amount of teachers I have dealt with who believe that because they are the teacher and we are the students, then they are automatically superior and more intelligent. This is a faulty mindset considering that new findings are discovered every day via research and some of the traditions that are upheld by a person with this mindset can be outdated.
A digital native is any person who was born and raised around technology and has been in close contact with it throughout their lives. I entirely agree with this label and the differences between being a digital native versus a digital immigrant. A perfect example is the shift to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This complete shift to online school was unexpected and unprecedented; therefore, professors did not have time to prepare. Even then, some of my professors handled it better than others. My younger professors were able to navigate live Zoom sessions and Klatura, plus any other online softwares that they wished to utilize. My older professors, on the other hand, were completely lost! They could not figure out for the life of them how to go on live Zoom sessions or how to post online assignments and resources. Unfortunately, because of this, my learning experience has faced a great disparity. In the future, I expect these disparities to shrink significantly as the population of digital immigrants decreases.
Hi, Emely! During my K-12 years I learned how to change font sizes, how to underline, bolden, italicize, indent, etc. on Google Docs. I was never introduced to Microsoft Word in elementary, middle and high school. My first experience with the network was last semester. I pretty much had to teach myself how to use all of the basic tools and applications on the network. I think Google Docs is easier to navigate just because I'm very comfortable with it. However, as I understand Microsoft Word more that might change. The learning standard resonated with me most as well. I believe that no one will ever be done learning, gaining knowledge, and growing. I also experienced many teachers varying how they responded to the online shift due to Covid. Generally, my younger teachers handled it better, being able to make the transition more seamless. I agree with your statement that technology disparities will shrink as the population of digital immigrants decreases.
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