Blog #2

     My experiences with Microsoft Word have been extensive throughout my years as a student. In elementary school, I used it far less than I do presently. In high school, it shifted from Microsoft Word to Google Docs due to the school's use of Google for our main accounts. When I got to FSU, I made the decision to use Microsoft Word, simply because I found it easier to use and I liked that it was saved to my computer rather than a cloud. I have an easier time finding my documents when they are on my hard drive. It's also easier to use offline and while Google Docs has updated their word processing software to allow for this, it's the convenience of using Word that drew me back to Microsoft. 

    The standard from the ISTE Standards for Educators list that seems most important to me is the citizen standard. We live in a world that is ever-changing as a result of the internet and as someone who grew up when the internet was just in its infancy and not as widespread as it is today, I can confidently say that the children who grow up with today's technology have a very different world to learn about. It is so valuable to teach them skills in technology that will help them be good people and learners because the difference between the last generation and this current generation of learners is the instant gratification piece. It is so easy for a student to look up the answer to a question or find information about the world, but without the tools an educator provides them, they will not understand the gravity of the knowledge that they have access to and how to give credit where credit is due. It can also be an overwhelming amount of knowledge and they need to know how to sort through it all and find accurate, good information. 

    I would agree with the term "digital native" only because there's no real way to describe the experiences that children of this age have had. To be a "digital native" you are completely immersed in digital culture from the day you were born. Throughout my time as a student, there was a noticeable gap between my digital knowledge and my teachers was. Teachers would be asking the students for assistance in making the projector work, or asking for tips when it came to showing a powerpoint. Today, I feel like that gap is getting smaller as students my age are becoming teachers. There wasn't a significant impact on my learning experience, however, there was time taken away from learning to adjust to a digital platform at certain points in my education. I feel like the only differences between my future students and I will be the new technology that arises once I leave the university level. I will have to teach myself a lot of software and having been able to adapt to the unique challenges of online learning in 2020 will most likely help me in my future endeavors as an educator.