Digital Blog Post #C

The three concepts that I wanted to explore and further expand upon are redefining creativity, electronic communication between teachers and students, and using text messaging to teach about spelling.

Creativity is such an important part of education today. It gives kids the freedom to use alternative routes to solve problems, present something or even interact with other people. It is encouraged greatly in education today but kids do not necessarily live up to the potential that they have. They play countless amount of video games and computer games which, I believe stunts their ability to express some sort of creativity. But in today's society, living after people that have demonstrated tremendous amounts of creativity such as Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein, kids do not have to come up with original ideas or concepts that no one ever has, they just need to think, say or do something that they have never thought, said or done. Creativity, also, does not have to be in the form of writing or fashion. It can be on a field or a court. It is crucial to allow kids to be creative in all aspects of life which will create room for growth in the educational sense.

There are many ways to communicate in our society today, such as texting, calling, emailing and social media messaging. There are many options for a teacher to build their own social media/ information communication system. Teachers have the freedom to build the way they are accessible to contact via phone customization, emails and social media messaging (although I would not suggest this one). Teacher-to-student communication is vital for successful students and teaching. Blogs, online discussions, wikis, teacher or classroom websites and email are some of the ways that students and teachers can communicate. The reason for having so many options is to allow the students ample opportunity to get in contact with his or her teacher. I believe that students need to have access to a teacher either through face-to-face communication or digital communication until the teacher or student goes to bed but with the stipulation of it being school related only. I already knew that there were many ways to communicate with a teacher and it has helped me tremendously throughout my college career. Something that extended my my thinking on communication between students and teachers is setting up online discussion boards for students and the teacher will be extremely effective for students to have access to other resources such as other students. This allows the student to ask his or her fellow classmates first rather than bothering the teacher.

Texting while in class is a nationwide dilemma that raises cause for concern for teachers. It can distract not only the student texting but also the students around him or her and the teacher as well. But after reading Strategies for Using Email and Texting in chapter 8, my perspective has changed a bit in regards to texting. We here a lot about kids getting upset at the iPhone's autocorrect setting. At times, autocorrect will change the word you are trying to type to something completely different and in some cases explicit. Educators today are encouraging teachers to embrace rather than seek to ban the use of cellphones, seeing text messaging as a way to build "better relationships, meaningful educational experiences and a more cooperative environment" (Nielsen & Webb, 2011, p. 2). Students can become more aware of spelling and grammar through the use of texting.

Quiz on Digital Blog Post #C

Resources:

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.

Nielsen, Lisa, and Willyn H. Webb. Teaching Generation Text: Using Cell Phones to Enhance Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2011. Print.

Chapter 1

The three concepts to reflect upon regarding chapter 1:

1) The first thing to reflect on is the shift in teacher desire in must-have educational tools from 2011 to the next couple of years. Wireless internet was the leading must-have tool for teachers in comparison to a year earlier when internet, a computer and an LCD projector were the top must-have tools for teachers. As we progress further into the 21st century, which is very technologically driven, we must adapt teaching practices to accommodate the ever growing technological advancements. This shift is already influencing teaching because of the changes in school software, such as smartboards and the iPad program.

2) The second thing to reflect upon is the iGeneration and how much kids are engulfed by digital media, including music, television, computers, video games, smartphones and other electronic devices. It is crazy to think how much social media has influenced the iGeneration. In some cases, it has shaped some kids' view on life and society. Kids in the iGeneration spend, on average, 7.09 hours using digital media. This will influence not only the kids but also the teachers because eventually, textbooks will no longer be in affect because of the technological advancements such as the iPad program which has all materials and textbooks accessible from the iPad.

3) The third thing to reflect upon is the influence that social media has not only on your identity but also your digital identity. Social media has become such a leading role player in our society today. Students are constantly checking Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As a college athlete, we have to sign a waiver letting the school know they can use any picture taken of us to promote the Athletics program on social media. Digital identity has become such an important factor on how kids are seen in our culture. This influences teaching by demonstrating that kids have different interests and will require the lesson plans to be adapted to the interests of the students.

In conclusion, technology has grown and shows signs of continuous growth. It has shaped how subjects are taught in schools and will continue to shape how subject matter is taught. Now if technology has made teaching easier, that is a whole another blog post that I hope to be able to answer.

Resources:Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Technology's impact on society in today's generations

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