Blog 5

 

  •  A paragraph about your early experiences using Twitter. With whom have you been interacting and how have you found it beneficial?  How might Twitter be helpful in your future career?
  • A paragraph about the digital divide.  How does the digital divide affect student success in schools? What are some causes of the digital divide? Reflect on what you may experience as a classroom teacher and how this will affect your teaching strategies.
  • A paragraph about academic software for students. Identify two software tools you would like to implement in your future classroom. Describe the software tools and why you would like to use them with your future students.  
My exposure to Twitter has been very limited. I have only used it to participate in EdChats. This has been very beneficial to put me in contact with educators from around the US. The first EdChat was about the implementation of "Patriotic Curriculum." It was interesting to see what teachers from all over had to say. 

The digital divide is a term used to describe the variation in technological ability among students. Technology is a rapidly growing industry and if all students don't get acquainted with the software early, they will be behind. It is very common that schools in lower income or rural areas do not have computer access. As a teacher I would apply for various tech grants to try and get computers in my classroom. I would also give students as many opportunities as I could to be in a computer lab practicing skills. 

I would implement the use of KhanAcademy with my students. KhanAcademy is a free website that provides explanations and additional resources for students studying any subject. It covers not only the basics like math and social studies but it also offers mini courses on coding and extra-curricular skills. Another software I think would be beneficial to my students is document editing. I would have them use various platforms such as MS word, Google Docs, and WordPad  to gain an understanding of each, then I would have them use Gramarly, a document editing site, to help them understand the formal styles of writing. 

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