1 - Our Ever-Changing Digital Society

We live in the 21st century. The world around us is constantly changing in terms of new development and technology. It is important that students in today's day and age learn to be adaptable to these changes through the use of creativity and knowledge. Learning is a form of communication where teachers are the senders and students are the receivers. The only way that students are going to be able to understand the true significance of technology is if teachers are highly skilled in the field before anything. Technology can be used for everything from presentation to administrative tasks and is extremely beneficial, but still the implementation of this technology is the root of the problem. Older teachers who were not and may still not be educated in the use of this technology may have a hard time integrating it into their lesson plans or curriculum because may not be seen as "traditional". In my high school, many teachers left the school after there was a required implementation of new Apple technology to be placed in the curriculum. The use of this technology can be a scary thing. Even if there is a want and need for this new technology it can be still be difficult to get it due financing. We new live in a very expensive and flashy century, and the cost of educating today’s youth is on the rise. It is important to remember that in my situations educators are doing the best they can with what they have. The issues over the increase in demand for educational technology are accurate, and as a child of the 21st century I completely understand that this education is extremely important in order for our day and age to prosper and be successful once we get to the ever-changing real world. 

The International Society of Technology Education (ISTE) has provided today's educators and learning specialists with guidelines known as the ISTE Standards, which are there to help teachers and students to flourish within the process of education in this digital society. I see these standards as extremely helpful and beneficial in order to keep up with the changes in this advancing world. There are standards for students, teachers, coaches, administrators and computer science educators. They cover all the basics. One standard that has stood out to me and warms my heart are the guidelines found under "Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity." This specifically stands out to me because this is one of my main reasons for wanting to be a teacher. I have always been inspired by teachers' passion for their subject and their ways of delivering information to their students with enthusiasm because without that enthusiasm I don't see a point in even trying to get your students to participate. The fact that this is seen as a standard gladdens my heart because it is almost guaranteed to make the process of learning easier not only on teachers, but students as well.

Digital Natives are those who were born during the advancement of the digital world, and who rarely have a problem adapting to technological advancements of the 21st century. I 100% agree with this terminology and label for my generation. It perfectly describes the fact that we will continue to grow and prosper despite the ever-changing society we live in today. There is definitely a difference in the way that digital natives and digital immigrants integrate with technology. I especially experienced the difference in high school. I went to a small private all girls’ Catholic school where a lot of my educators were a bit older than my generation, and it was a struggle for some due to the advancements that my "SMART School" was making. It would be up to the students to help the teachers set up their iPads and Smart boards a lot of the time and it became tedious and wasted learning time. In classrooms with teachers who didn't make good use of the technology when it was being used it was difficult to get myself to pay and attention and want to learn. When it comes to my future classroom and students I do no really know what to expect when it comes to technological advancements because in my mind I don't know how much more advanced we can get, but I know I am wrong. It definitely doesn't scare me because I have always done well with technology and understanding it. By the time I start teaching I expect the entire classroom to be digital and physical textbooks will most likely cease to exist and so much more. I find it very difficult to predict this kind of future because I really do not even know how to even guess how it could get any more advanced than the way we already have it.