Blog Journal - September 17th Edition

 

☺WELCOME TO MY BLOG JOURNAL #2☺

• MS Word Experience as a student

Regarding my experience using Microsoft Word, I don't really have a lot of memorable experiences with using the software as a student, and if anything I'd say I prefer using Google Docs a lot more. For one, Google Docs feels a bit more informal than MS Word, which is something I like considering the interface on Word has always felt really stuffy and bourgeoisie in my opinion. Another thing I like is that Google Docs is very seamless considering Google Chrome is my browser of choice, so I can easily do things like copy and paste images off Google Search, use the paint roller tool to copy the text format I'm using, etc. There is also the fact that I can easily access other tools on Google like Sheets and Slides if needed since my Google tab bar is readily available. Overall, I like the interface and accessibility that comes with Google Docs much better than Microsoft Word.

• ISTE Standards for Educators

 The ISTE Standard that is most meaningful to me is Standard 2.3, the "Citizen" standard. In my own words, I'd define this standard as the commitment to teaching students how to be proper "Netizens" or Internet citizens. This entails informing students on the importance and impact of digital footprints as well as practicing safe Internet usage and how to spot things like grooming, cyberbullying, doxing, etc., and how to respond to scenarios where they witness these things taking place. It is important for K-12 educators to practice this standard, especially starting from the elementary level because younger students are much less tech-savvy than their peers in middle and high school in terms of interacting with others online. This in turn makes them easier targets for online predators and victims of inappropriate online practices, which is why there is an emphasized importance in educating these students and making them aware of the responsibility they wield and are expected to uphold when using technology with the intent to interact on the cyberweb, especially unsupervised.

• Stance on "Digital Native(s)"

 In terms of the argument surrounding the term "Digital Native(s)" for the younger generation, I feel a bit neutral on the subject matter. On one hand, as a member of the younger generation, I can certainly attest to the fact that we are definitely much more well-versed in technology than the generations before us. However, there is also to be considered the fact that we are more familiar with the technology we've been raised with, which is a bit more informal than the technology our parents and even grandparents are used to, which is usually technology used with the intention of doing tasks in the workplace, whereas we use technology for the sake of gaming, socializing, etc. In stating this, I'd say digital natives are those among the population who have technology ingrained into their day-to-day life and are highly informed/educated on the interworkings of said technology, as well as the impact it has on the world and overall, wield an extensive knowledge on the tech world to a greater extent than others. Finally, I'd say that I haven't really seen any differences between how students use technology compared to their teachers aside from the obvious that one group uses certain technology in a professional setting for the sake of educating. I think a large part of this is because I personally have mostly dealt with educators who were less than two decades older than me, so they have a decent grasp of using social media networks and things of that nature outside the classroom setting while balancing formal tech in the classroom, which I think is a trend that will continue for future educators (including myself) since many of us are of the younger generation.