Journal #4

     My twitter use so far has primarily focused on retweeting  and replying to others. I follow many educational twitter accounts, so I try to find educational articles that pertain to technological advancements in the classroom. I vary between simply retweeting and also quote tweeting so that I can provide my own input. I enjoy looking through all of the articles and comments people post on my feed but can find it intimidating to tweet my own words or reply to others. I'm glad that response to others is mandatory though since it makes me figure what opinions I want to express. In my reply tweets I have tried to show enthusiasm for what ever the topic may be, but provide a clear reason as to why I think it is positive. I choose to respond to bigger accounts, such as @educationweek or @GoogleForEdu, because the sources seem reliable. I can see how a twitter could help teachers connect to other educators from around the world. I think that if I choose to have a twitter when I enter the field of education I will follow many other educators and retweet articles in order to get their own expert opinions on the subject. I can allow see myself tweeting out when I have any questions about teaching techniques. I have enjoyed my experience so far and look forward to getting better connected to my fellow EME2040 classmates on the site.

     The digital divide creates an unbalanced education technology for students of different backgrounds. Students who are familiar with technology all of their lives are more likely to feel ease when adapting to new technology software. This confidence will transfer into the workforce as tech savvy kids feel little to no intimidation when face with learning a new program for a job. On the opposite end of the spectrum, students who are given limited access to technological resources struggle with learning new tools. Even if a program or software is unique to a job, a student who grew up with out technology is at a disadvantage since learning can become a daunting task. This is unfortunate since jobs in the tech sector are rapidly growing. The divide in technological preparation stems from economic and geographical differences in home life. A student in the city with upper  middle class parents is more likely to have access to a computer and other tech tools, while a low income rural student may have very limited access. As a teacher I must be prepared to help close this divide so that non-tech friendly kids are given enough experience. Since assigning online homework is unfair to those students, technology activities should be done in class. This can mean shared time on in class computers, or a class trip to a computer lab where beneficial skills can be learned. Providing this experience to children at an early age creates a more even playing field as the students grow older and enter the work force.

      Because I want to teach at the elementary school level I will use mainly basic student softwares.I will want to use web resources that are activities or fun for the students to participate in. This will be used primarily in class since it would be unfair to assign any online sources as homework for students who lack the resources. I will want my students at the second grade level and above to learn how to use the programs on Microsoft office. Word and power point are important sources the students can use to write up their assignments or create presentations. At such an early grade level I do not think I will find any use in networking tools, such as social media or discussion boards. These might be too advanced for early education students, and would require much management and regulation. Though at the second grade level a software such as Moodle, or other learning management systems, would be helpful for creating a virtual classroom space that students could access with their parents help. These programs would help enrich the class environment and still be usable for a student at the age of 7-8.