Blog post 2

 I really don't remember a time before I was comfortable with Microsoft word. My parents were fortunate enough to afford a family computer when I was young and I remember using that occasionally for assignments as early as elementary school. I grew up with it. Every year of my adolescence, even in college I have learned more and more about the functions of the software to where I am extremely confident in doing just about anything in word. But I do see benefit in using google docs. For starters, it saves automatically. I have heard that word may do that now but I am not sure if mine does and do not want to risk it. And even if it does, occasionally the file gets saved in a really hard to find place, where as in docs I can search the file by name or by date or even a phrase of writing within the document. It also acts as free storage which is nice. I feel more confident in word though. I can also use word without an internet connections. I can use it while traveling to get work done instead of wasting time. I can also go to a coffee shop where I don't know the wifi password to work on my writing without the distracting temptation of the safari icon. I suppose, like my stance on economic systems, I do not see one as clearly superior to the other, but helpful in different ways.

I believe that collaboration is the most important standard of the ISTE Standards for Educators. I truly believe that collaboration is the future of education in the future of technology. The internet is like it own economy, but instead of money there are likes or shares or whatever metric they use to measure their journalism/teaching. Best of all it is a good way to level the playing field for all students despite income status. With the internet students of all backgrounds are able to learn from the best educators, practically free of cost! Students and teachers can finally primarily teach/learn what they are most passionate about (in the future at least) and collaborate with others that are equally passionate around the world. Diversity is also a strength shown time and time again. Today it is easier than ever to communicate with people who do not speak your language, and the technology is getting better and better. Different people from different backgrounds have a different perspective and wealth of knowledge to bring to the table. 

There's this new phrase (or at least new to me) "digital natives" to describe those born during this large boom of digital technology. Me essentially. I have a few contentions to this phrasing and generalization. For one, is it supposed to be another generation title? And who does it even refer to? I mean people had gaming consoles and computers in the 1970's! I definitely did not have access to a smart phone until I was in high school, like most kids my age. I think people born in the late 90's get thrown into this mess of kids who don't know of a time before touch screens. I really do not think that I fall into that category. I remember when my parents got their first cell phone and I remember when everyone used watches! There's also this idea that we are somehow more able to use technology as we were surrounded by it our entire lives. I do not believe this is true. My mother, my teachers, my bosses have taught me everything I know about the computer. On average I think they know more than me. I think ultimately it comes down to how long you are around technology. Younger people are generally more exposed to technology because of addicting apps like social media. Most people my age spend more time on a version of social media per day than they do sleeping. You can look that up. No one knew this would be Pandora's box. If someone spends 8 hours per day sleeping and longer than that on social media, how long is someone actually experiencing their own lives? The sad answer is "digital natives" might be a scarily apt phrase. I believe that social media is very harmful to a developing brain so I would not use that for my students.