Hello, Good Morning, sit down and grab a cup of (iced) coffee to join us on our second post as we "Chat With Lucy"!

First off, I hope you all had a great week and that as we celebrate Memorial Day you tell those that you know who have served "thank you", and if you don't know anyone personally, to try and say thank you to the next man or woman in uniform. They appreciate it more than you know. While I have no lost anyone to active duty, I do want to say thank you to my brother who is active duty in the Army right now.

Okay, back to the topic at hand! Today we will discuss influences to use technology in the classroom, ISTE standards, and the term "digital native". To start off, I think the main reason teachers and students are influenced to use technology in the classroom is to stay up to date with the times. There are so many technological advances made in this world, and while they have made negative impacts on the younger generations, there are a lot of these tools that can we beneficial in the classroom. For example, a small, magnified projector is super helpful when wanting to show or go through a worksheet that most of the class would not be able to see by just holding it up. Another one would be smart boards and their ability to draw on, search the internet, or even pull up textbooks. Refusing to at least try some of the new technology that has come about will just push students away from school. These children are growing in a very technologically advanced time and we have to give a little and try to grow with them to gain their interest.

Now, when it comes to the ISTE standards, I found most of these very interesting and pretty "basic" but necessary because many may look over them and their importance. The one standard that I know and is meaningful would be the "facilitator" standard for educators. I currently work at a school as an after school counselor for fourth graders and I have very much had to facilitate a lot of activities, thinking, and more for my kids. I have loved being able to show them how to work more individually because they are older, but also how to work as a group cohesively and in a more structured way. Having to facilitate "enrichments", which are activities that are fun and engaging but still teaching a lesson, has shown me how to be creative and attend to the different needs and wants of each student. Now, one standard that has not really applied to me just yet would be the designer standard for educators. I have facilitated a lot of activities that other educators have designed for me, but I have not designed my own yet. I am excited to see what resources technology has to offer when I do design activities in the near future because each student learns different and there are so many way for me to cater to each individual child now.

Lastly, let's discuss the term "digital native" and "digital immigrant". Sit back and sip your coffee because I have thoughts. First and foremost, I think my generation in specific is stuck in a weird in between of being natives and immigrants. We grew up in a time when technology was evolving and advancing, but it wasn't really established yet. We were in a transitional phase that made us more aware and accustomed than our parents but nearly as native as generations right under us. So, simply put, I agree with the term, but I think the cut off of who fits into which one is a little blurrier than most assume. But that is just my personal opinion! I could just be the odd man out who still struggles with the new technology at 20 years old lol. Kids that I babysit know how to use my phone better than I do so they are definitely more natives than I am. On the other hand though, my own father, who is about to be 50, can use and learn technology better and faster than I can so I'm not so sure the characteristics of an immigrant apply to him so much. I have seen some of my teachers really embrace technology while I have also seen others who refuse to. It is the same with them as it is with my dad, some know how to use it so easily and love it more than I do while others cannot comprehend it nor do they want to. As s future educator, I hope to incorporate technology in my classroom but to also be aware of my students and which ones like using and which do not. I do not want to force a program or device on them if they learn better a different way. I think technology is going to be super beneficial, but need to put my students needs above my own.

Let's chat next week!!! Have a fun Memorial Day!!

Check out my comments on https://minnieseducationblog.blogspot.com/2019/05/influences-ste-standards-and-digital.html?showComment=1559614769477#c154197575589955938 and https://littleeme2040.blogspot.com/2019/05/blog-post-2-iste-standards-and-digital.html?showComment=1559615634392#c7364624638912433412