Blog Journal #2
I began using MS Word in college to complete assignments and take notes in my courses. Prior to utilizing Word, I exclusively used Google Docs when writing essays or taking notes and found it very easy to use. Since Google Docs is free and can be easily accessed across several different devices, I find it more convenient and would prefer that format. Since getting access to MS programs, however, I have grown accustomed to Word and use it most often.
The ISTE Standard for Educators that is most meaningful to me is 2.1.c. This standard states that educators should stay current on new research that pertains to student learning and advancement. I think that this is very important because new research is constantly being conducted that uses data to derive supported strategies for increasing student learning. While it can be easy to fall into a routine and practice as a teacher in the ways that you are used to, I think that it is important to try new strategies and strive for the maximum amount of learning and success in the classroom. I am curious about how teachers should know what studies are reliable and which ones are not. While some studies may be posted, they may not always be reliable and should therefore not be used within the classroom.
Regarding the term, “digital native” as it is used in today’s society, I agree that many children are digital natives to an extent. The term is used to refer to people who grow up with exposure to technology and are competent in utilizing technology. I think that far more children are exposed to and competent in their use of their technology compared to children of previous generations. Throughout my observations of elementary classrooms over the past few semesters, I have noticed that students are now taught to use their personal devices daily. They were able to navigate them efficiently and seemed far more confident in using them than I would have at their age. This would allow the students to learn in different ways than “digital immigrants” as they can utilize technology as a learning tool including Quizlet, Google Docs, and Kahoot. I also know that not every child has access to technology so it is not accurate to say that all children of this generation are digital natives. I think that children of future generations will continue to progress in their technological competency and they will likely have to educate me on how to use the new technologies that come about.
Hi, Hailey! I really appreciate your critical views for the reliability of educational research. You might know the concept of "sample" and "population" in experiments in social science fields because you have a psychology background. Researchers usually can only examine some new teaching strategies (called intervention in experiments) on a limited number of samples because of time and cost limitation, which may cause the intervention be effective in some samples but not other samples with different demographics (e.g. social-economic status, races, genders, ages). Therefore some research may be reliable within a scope but does not have enough "generalization". I think teachers should have a critical view towards published research. They can also implement experiments to test new strategy's effectiveness within the allowance of ethics. I notice you are applying for a graduate program. I assume you may be interested in the design of experiments in the education field. If so, I recommend you could read the following materials:
ReplyDeletehttps://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=oa_textbooks,
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2002-17373-000