Journal 4
Upon hearing we were using Twitter I was excited because I'm familiar with the social media platform. However, the more I used it for this class, the more I realized how effective it is at sharing actual news and information instead of jokes and memes. It's been helpful for me to see other people's tweets and it's interesting to read what they have to share. I actually responded to another person in the class agreeing about how useful we found the blogs to be. Now that I see this side of Twitter, I can see how beneficial it will be in the future, especially as a teacher. All the accounts I've been following like @edutopia and @EdSurge, have connected me to news and articles I wouldn't have seen prior to my class Twitter account. I think using Twitter as a simple and quick news outlet will help to update me on more efficient and effective ways to teach and include technology in my classroom.
Digital divide affects those students who don't have Internet or technology at home. It can impact their success in the classroom because they have a more limited access to information. For example, if a student with Internet access didn't understand what their textbook was trying to explain, they could simply search for websites that explain the concept better. Whereas, children without that access are stuck trying to comprehend the textbook because they don't have the luxury of Google searching thousands of websites for better information. This divide is usually caused by the expense of technology because not all families can afford Internet, computers, and/or tablets. I think as an elementary teacher a digital divide may not be as detrimental to work around. As a teacher I would just stick to assigning hand written homework to avoid favoring those with technology access. I don't think this should be too difficult because in elementary I remember only doing hand written homework and whenever we used technology it was always in class. I think the system of using technology only in the classroom would be a good approach to tackling the digital divide.
As of now I want to teach 1st or 2nd grade, so I expect to use a lot of the software that can be accessed on iPads or tablets because those seem to be used more in elementary settings than computers or laptops. Some apps I've heard of that are helpful include, Scholastic Storia that is an interactive ebook, Kahoot which turns reviews into a more exciting friendly competition, and Brain Quest that's an educational trivia on a variety of subjects. I researched these when I made my letter and found them all to be very engaging and informative. They're also simple enough and user-friendly for elementary students, which is important. By using easy to use and fun educational apps, it helps excites the kids while teaching them.
Digital divide affects those students who don't have Internet or technology at home. It can impact their success in the classroom because they have a more limited access to information. For example, if a student with Internet access didn't understand what their textbook was trying to explain, they could simply search for websites that explain the concept better. Whereas, children without that access are stuck trying to comprehend the textbook because they don't have the luxury of Google searching thousands of websites for better information. This divide is usually caused by the expense of technology because not all families can afford Internet, computers, and/or tablets. I think as an elementary teacher a digital divide may not be as detrimental to work around. As a teacher I would just stick to assigning hand written homework to avoid favoring those with technology access. I don't think this should be too difficult because in elementary I remember only doing hand written homework and whenever we used technology it was always in class. I think the system of using technology only in the classroom would be a good approach to tackling the digital divide.
As of now I want to teach 1st or 2nd grade, so I expect to use a lot of the software that can be accessed on iPads or tablets because those seem to be used more in elementary settings than computers or laptops. Some apps I've heard of that are helpful include, Scholastic Storia that is an interactive ebook, Kahoot which turns reviews into a more exciting friendly competition, and Brain Quest that's an educational trivia on a variety of subjects. I researched these when I made my letter and found them all to be very engaging and informative. They're also simple enough and user-friendly for elementary students, which is important. By using easy to use and fun educational apps, it helps excites the kids while teaching them.
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