2 - Microsoft Word, Copyright, and Twitter!!

Microsoft Word is important in my everyday life. As a student I use Microsoft Word to do many tasks. It is very simple and I can easily type something up to send to a professor or friend. I use Microsoft Word to write my blogs, essays, organize thoughts for emails and to take notes. It takes much less time than writing out and erasing if you mess up. All of my teachers and professors use Microsoft Word to send out rubrics and assignment details.

Copyright is “the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same.” I have not had much experience with copyright. The only type of copyright I have somewhat experienced is when I cite my sources in an essay. As a teacher I will have to be sure to do lots of research on copyright laws and what copyright protects. I will be able to copyright some of my own stuff one day. I will be sure to teach my students all of the rules of copyright and encourage them to do their own research on how to copyright their own works.

Twitter is a very great way to stay connected with friends, family and even celebrities. As a user of Twitter I have learned how to retweet, reply, direct message, and follow other users. I followed a few educational users which will provide me with tips and facts about learning. I can use this in the future to connect with my students and their families. As a teacher I will have a separate, professional teacher Twitter account. This way I can post pictures and update the student’s parents.

1 - Blogging part 1

Computers are an important part of the educational experience in that they provide an external source to find information and they offer many different programs to help bring information together in the form of a presentation, word document, movie, etc. Some critical concerns that relate to both teachers and students about how computers are used is that they can crash and some are very old and cannot support the updated software. I agree with these issues because both have happened to me.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) includes many standards. The NETS-T are standards for assessing the what the teacher should know about technology. The NETS-T is a standard that explains that teachers must have already taught their students about the NETS-S, which is what the students know about technology and how they apply the fundamental skills. The standard that makes my heard happy is the Common Core Standards Initiative. This standard is in place so that by the end of each grade, all students know the same information. This is extremely important because if a child moves from one state to another and there is no Common Core standard, the child may end up learning the same thing in the next grade level, or they will fall so far behind. A standard that seems “outside [my] current skill set” is the design and develop digital learning and experience and learning new things. I feel that personally teaching straight from the book is much easier than finding ways to make up new ideas and strategies.

If someone is referred to as “digitally native,” they were born during the rise of digital technology and they consequently are very proficient at using computers and certain programs. I agree with this term because I am “digitally native.” My family is always commenting that I’m spending too much of my time on the computer and other electronics. I have seen many differences between my teachers and I and how we use technology. Many of my teachers are older than me and therefore they weren’t born during the “digitally native” time period. Yes, some of them know how to use a computer, cell phone, tv, etc., but do they REALLY know how to use the technology to its fullest potential, no. This has impacted my learning experience in that usually the teachers waste time figuring out how to turn the device on, trying to navigate websites, and find files on their desktop. I anticipate myself, future teachers, and students to become more technologically inclined. I feel like the population as a whole will grow since technology keeps getting better and better.

0 - My first attempt at a blog post

I do not have much experience with technology. Yes, I know how to use everyday technology such as my phone, laptop, TV, etc., I would not consider myself "tech-savvy." I use Apple products at home so it will be hard for me to get used to using a Dell in class. I was a in a graphic design class in middle school and thought that I was going to make a career out of it but that ended fast. It was easy for me to learn the basic uses of technology. I couldn't figure out all of the tricks and felt discouraged, so I tried something else.

Through this class I hope to learn how to perform basic tasks on the computer itself as well as programs so that when I design a project to present to my peers, mine will stand out. I also want to learn the basic tasks so that I can help my mom when she needs it, considering that she barely knows how to use her iPhone besides from calling and texting. I also want to learn how to use technology that is present in classrooms because when I was in high school it seemed as if my teachers had no idea how to work their own technology and they always had to call the librarian for help...I don't want to be that lady.

The learning styles questionnaire that I took in class today says a lot about me and I believe it is very accurate. First, I am a moderate active learner. The questionnaire recommended that I study in groups and take turns explaining what you know to help others in the group that might not know. I also have a very strong preference for the sensory learning dimension.  This means that I remember best if I can connect with the real world. I was recommended to ask my teacher for specific examples if I do not clearly understand. I also have a very strong preference for visual learning. I was recommended to color-code my notes which I already do! Finally, I am a moderate sequential learner. If steps are missing, I will ask my professor to go over the skipped steps so that the material is in a sequential order.