Blog #1

      Teachers are influenced to use technology to relate to how students learn now, since they are usually considered "digital natives," as opposed to being "digital immigrants," like teachers usually are. The ISTE standards make teachers integrate technology, if they are not limited by funding or experience. Some states now require teachers to take at least one technology class, like the one we are in right now, and a lot of schools provide classes for the teachers to take, if they started teaching before the requirement. Students are influenced to use technology by the fact that they grew up with technology. Technology gives students a way of learning and being able to learn in a way that is better for them. Using technology, students are able to work at their own pace and learning style, access tools that will help them, and communicate with their teachers and classmates.

       ISTE standards are standards that students and educators use as a bases of standards for the use of technology in schools. ISTE standard 2, "Digital Citizen," is meaningful to me because I feel like I relate the most of this standard. I do not believe I am a pro with this standard, but I have been using the internet my whole life, and social media since I was in the fifth grade (with Facebook). The standard that seems outside of my skill set would be the fifth standard, "Innovative Designer," because it seems like the only one of the standards I have not used very much, and also because I do not feel like I am that creative.

      A digital native is someone who usually cannot remember a time without technology, as opposed to digital immigrants, who are introduced to technology in their teens or childhood. The podcast states that digital natives usually are dependent on their technology, and see it as part of them. I think this does describe today's youth, because almost everyone has a phone and social media accounts which they are very dependent on. Of course, not everyone falls into this category, since someone people do not even like technology, but for most of today's youth, this fits them. Being a digital native has allowed me to see the differences between students and teachers using technology. Students typically get whatever technology they are using pretty fast, and will play around with it to understand it; however, teachers usually need help. They do not usually just open a website or a program and just know how to use it, they kind of have to be taught to use it more then students may have to be. I do not believe this has impacted my learning much, other then teachers just saying "Oh well, I can't get this program to work," and then they'll go on to explain whatever it is they wanted to show us. I think in the future, as technology progresses, my students will be in my position and I will be in the teachers position, as they are always going to be more up to date with the latest technology, while I may fall behind.