Blog Post #4

 The ELA technology standards are responsible for making sure students know how to implement basic computer skills into what they are learning academic wise. It is not benefical if students understand how to use a computer, but aren't familar with how to use it for academic purposes like writing an essay or looking up words in a thesaurus. Within the standards for 6th grade, there is a standard that states students should be familar with publishing original work and then having other students be able to collaborate with the work and share it. I would feel extremely comfortable in my skills set to be able to help students complete this task successfully. Writing blogs like I am doing right now, sharing essays through google drive, and using Microsoft software are all things I practically grew up learning how to do. 

A tool I found helpful when looking in the educator "toolkit" was using a plot diagram in order to properly explain the concept of what a plot is to 6th graders. I feel like visually seeing how a plot works is extremely helpful. From the time students are young children, they have seen so many plots play out in books, TV shows, and movies. Plot is an idea they take for granted because it is always present. So when students learn there is actually a reason for specific plot lines and that there is a "formula" to it, I feel like it is very important to have visual aids. 

It is important to be a good internet searcher as a teacher for many reasons. I feel as though there is a type of stigma that teachers are expected to know everything, but in reality that is an unrealistic expectation. In order to answer questions a teacher may not have the answer to, teachers need to be able to find reliable information quickly in order to provide students with an accurate answer. I think the skill I will use the most moving forward is restricting the results of images that could be flagged for copyright. I had no idea that was a function on any search engine, and that is a feature I will definitely utilize as a future educator. A feature that was not introduced but could have been introduced is Google Scholar. Google Scholar is an easy and fast way to find reliable research articles if someone does have have access to a datebase through an educational institution.

Blog Post #3

 Copyright is an issue primarily centered around the idea that one sole entity owns a piece of work, and that said piece of work needs to be paid for before it can be copied or utilized as one's own. Pretty much anything can be copyrighted from music to educational materials. It is important for teachers to understand the proper rules and guidelines for what is considered copyright and what is considered fair use of materials. Fair use is when teachers use copyrighted resources within reason. An example of fair use would be a college professor photocopying and providing the first chapter of the required textbook during the first week of school to students to read before their own copies have arrived. This would be considered copyright if the professor photocopied the entire book so students did not have to buy it. However, since the professor only photocopied the first chaper it would be considered fair use. As a teacher, I would be extremely careful to create my own original work. When creating from scratch is not possible, I would ensure I was properly following copyright laws/partaking in fair use strategies. 

As a teacher in this day and age, there will be many technology implmentation issues that will need to be combatted. Especially in elementary school settings, it can be difficult for children to focus on their work at hand when they know they could be playing any sort of computer game. To help with decreased productivty when working on computers, I would encourage my students to finish the assignment as soon as possible because if they stay on task and do not linger from their work they would be able to take a "brain break" on the computer and play an appropriate game of their choosing on the computer. I would only do this at the very end of their time being on computers. Otherwise after they started playing games they would never be able to focus on another computer assigment. Another issue I would have to deal with would be academic dishonesty. This would be an issue that would apply more to high schoolers and college students. In order to avoide this, I would have all students submit papers through "turnitin.com." It is so important for students to understand the seriousness of plagarism, and this would make them understand that teachers and faculty are always on the lookout for copyright issues and take it very seriously. 

Blog Post #2

 My experiences using Word have definitely changed and evolved overtime. When I was in elementary school, I used Word very rarely. School papers were still written on actual sheets of notebook paper and Microsoft was used only for making digital drawings during free time. However, in high school and here at FSU, Word is only used for papers and assignments. My experience using Word has been mostly positive, aside from some glitches with downloading different documents and some annoying format issues. I mostly see Word as software for writing papers and completing online assignments. Overall, even though Google Docs is so convenient when it comes to sharing documents easily with peers, I still would prefer Microsoft software over Google software.

The "learner" ISTE Standards for Education is the most important to me. I am a big fan of growing and evolving from ones' own mistakes. I believe that a big part of teaching is understanding that the same type of teaching will not work for all students, all classes, all schools, all states, etc. Teacher's need to know how to adapt and adjust their methods when it becomes apparent whatever they are doing is no longer working for them. A big pet peeve of mine is when teachers get stuck in their ways and are afraid to evolve, and the "learner" standard is all about preventing teachers from doing just that!

I do agree with the label of "digital native" for today's youth. Everyone in Generation Z and below have grown up around technology and it is has been a part of everyday life for their entire or most of their lives. To be a digital native is when all things revolving around technology is a natural part of everyday life. For example, a while back when my little cousin was around two years old, my family was amazed that she knew exactly how to turn on an iPhone. I tried to explain to them that it really wasn't that big of a feat, since she spent two years watching everyone turn on an iPhone so it is just a part of her everyday life. She learned how to walk in the same way she learned how to turn on an iPhone; that is what being a digital native is all about. Teacher's that are considered "digital immigrants" have a way about them where how they use technology is not innate in the same way it is for today's youth. If they are using a new program, it will take them a long time to understand how to work it, whereas often times their students will be able to figure out how it works right away.

Blog Post #1

 

Hello everyone! My name is Ashley Norman and I am a senior at Florida State majoring in Psychology and minoring in Education. I am originally from New Jersey and am an only child. I am on the Marching Chiefs here at FSU and this season I am serving as the assistant captain of the majorette line. Being assistant captain as been both time consuming and extremely rewarding. I have loved helping lead and motivate the rest of my team. In my free time, I love listening to music (my favorite artisit is Taylor Swift), going hiking, traveling, and spending time with my friends.

Previously, I have had some experience using technology in an education setting. Over the summer, I organized zoom meetings with the majorettes in order to go over important dates as well as practice remotely. I have also taken "Intro to Education" and gained a lot of experience using zoom, kahoot, quizlet, and canva. I feel comfortable using all kinds of technology, as I practically grew up surrounded by it.

I use various resources for my PNL's. Relating to the majorettes, I utilize our coaches, alumni, social media, and teammates in order to make informed decisions regarding choreography and important decisions. For school, I reach out to teachers, classmates, quizlets, online forums, and textbooks. Having a support system is so important, as the most successful people never work alone. 

Wishing everyone a great amount of luck this semester!

"Welcome to New Jersey" by bobbsled is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0