Blog Journal 2

     I have used Microsoft Word for school ever since I was in middle school. This means that I have been using this program for 9 years now, and in my opinion that makes me fairly experienced. I am also certified in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, so I am fairly comfortable using Microsoft software. I am also a big fan of Google Docs for short assignments as your information stays in a cloud, this means you can access it from anywhere. I also like that Google Docs automatically saves your work. 

    The ISTE or the International Society for Technology in Education is a non-profit organization that creates standards that provide the competencies for learning, teaching, and leading in the digital age. These standards also provide a roadmap for navigating technology in the educational world. My favorite standard for educators is standard 2.1 which reads "Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning." I really like that this standard speaks on learning from others and not being responsible for taking it all on yourself. I believe this standard is so important for K-12 educators as collaboration can produce new ideas that could vastly improve one's teaching ability. 

    I do agree with the label "digital native" that has been put on my generation. We grew up in a world where technology has boomed and I've been surrounded by gadgets my entire life. I've watched the iPhone be created and evolve over the years and I've watched so many other technological devices boom in ways I never would've imagined. I have had teachers that I could label "digital immigrants" because they struggle to keep up with technology. I was a student when public schools went fully digital and I remember having multiple teachers over the years that tried to drag out pen and paper work for as long as they could. They had a  positive impact on my learning through the yeas as pen and paper lessons and activities require a little more work than a few taps on a keyboard.