Blog Post #2: Tuesday 09/06
My experience using MS Word as a student:
I've used MS Word more than any other word-processing software. I find Word to be the most helpful application for essay writing and other tasks involving long-form text. I was certified in Word before high school and continue to use it for note-taking and extended papers.
Google Docs is really useful for assignments that mandate group editing/viewing during the writing process. Also, Google Docs makes inserting (charts, emoticons, images, etc.) really simple. However, I don't typically use Google Docs over Word solely because I am not as familiar with it.
MS Word was the first word-processing software I ever utilized in school and I've used it regularly for years. Therefore, I'm very aware of how Word will help me accomplish my goals for any assignment.
ISTE Standards
In my opinion, the ISTE "Citizen" standard is the most significant of the seven.
This standard says: Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in the digital world.
To me, this describes an educator's duty to be a knowledgeable resource for their students to learn how to safely navigate technology. While the internet has countless valuable uses, identity theft and other dangers are a big risk to young users. Educators should be not only technologically-minded but much more so than their students. As adults who are then fully acquainted with safe technological practices, educators will be able to guide students in the right direction. The alternative in which children teach themselves about social media often results in dangerous consequences. On the contrary, I've observed that most of my teachers are at least somewhat or even severely less familiar with technology than my classmates and I. This is unsurprising if we assign them the "Digital Immigrants" title. Many of my teachers did not grow up with access to advanced technology and therefore, new applications are often very difficult to master. Consequently, for instance, class time could be occupied or even totally wasted in the process of attempting to access a slideshow.
Additionally, students at any age will need technical skills to succeed in their academic/professional careers. Educators serve to transfer knowledge of the many technological resources available to aid them in their endeavors. I anticipate that classrooms will gradually acquire more advanced technological resources and possibly abandon paper altogether.
Whether I agree with the term "Digital Native"
Digital Native: a member of the most recent generation(s) with close to full remembrance of access to technology resources.
- Important factors to consider:
(1) Affluence (personal or societal)
(2) Personal preference
(3) Family dynamics/culture
Considering any exemptions posed by the factors above, I agree conditionally with the term "digital native". The conditions, namely, concern binary classification. While I agree with the generational implications behind the term, I believe there are degrees of technological fluency that fall within each generation. Most generations span across 15 years. While I am a member of Gen Z and I would consider myself a digital native, I can remember a time when things like smart boards and IPads weren't accessible for educator use.
"Office-ms-word" by RRZEicons is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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