digital blog post #b

     The first point of chapter 2 I'd like to reflect on the when the book describes the term 'technology'. It describes technology "as an innovation designed to solve problems and extend human capabilities." Maloy, et al (2013 pp 24) I think this is true in almost every sense it can be conceived. By this I mean personally it can aid those with various disabilities run their personal lives more independently, it allows an endless amount of information to be at ones' finger tips, it enables a sense of personal connection through social medias and messaging forums, and most importantly I believe it can help teachers reach and teach every student in all of the different ways students learn like teacher could never quite do before. Visual learners can learn from videos and power points, auditory learners can listen to podcasts and educational concepts put to music or lyrics, kinesthetic learners can play educational games and operate field trips with the google 360 viewer and feel like apart of the interaction. Technology devices can offer an amazing array of aid to teachers to help reach each and every student. I as a future teacher can only hope to learn enough at all times to stay on top of this curve and bring the best possible learning devices and programs to my students.
     The second concept that resonated with me in this chapter were the results from the High School Survey of Student Engagement Survey done by Indiana University. I found those to be very eye opening. When I was in high school, mind you not even that long ago, technology was not a major part of learning or teacher usage in the classrooms beyond maybe a power point presentation and the old style overhead projectors that used transparency sheets. all of my classes were mostly lecture based and I as an auditory and visual learner enjoyed that teaching style. I did not enjoy group projects or technology based projects. Mostly because in group projects I would end up with most of the work and since I didn't have a computer in my home until I was 15 did not enjoy research or technology based projects. The survey results are the complete opposite of what kids today enjoy about school and what I did. This makes me feel both very apprehensive about my ability to catch up and surpass the technology needs my students have while at the same time lighting a fire in me to make it become a personal challenge to do just that.

     The third concept was about the digital barriers, divides, and participation gaps among kids and access to technological devices and the abilities to use them. This concept may sound new, due to technology being a newer front that schools are using but to me sounds like the same concern when access to books, and kids reading levels were in question. The textbook said "digital divides and participation gaps affect mainly low-income, nonwhite, urban, and rural youngsters, and occur when students do not have access to the latest technologies at school or at home. Lack of access to new technologies is a contributing factor to academic achievement gaps." Maloy, et al (2013 pp 32). I do not know yet of a way that schools or districts, or even states can provide enough funding so that every student can obtain some type of personal digital device, like an ipad, to gain equal access to technology like other students have, but it makes me think there is something that is being over looked somewhere along the way. Unless we can get those students to tools they need as teachers and faculty I am not sure how to close this gap. It is an age old gap that just keeps increasing as rapid as technology does. But I am hoping to be able to help curb some of this gap in my classroom by using the techniques I read in my articles for our discussion # 2 post.

Citrino, J. Sept.13, 2015. Created via ToonDoo.

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O'Loughlin, Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon, A., and Woolf, Beverly Park. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.