Journal Two
Hello friends! Today I'll be talking about things like Microsoft Word and Technology Implementation Issues, as spoken about in class.
First, Microsoft Word has always been a favorite tool of mine! Lately, I only ever really use the tool for writing essays and class assignments like that, yet when I was younger, I would always pretend like I was a teacher and make various teacher tools through word. I was honestly probably more fluent in Microsoft Word when I was like eight, as opposed to now at eighteen. 😂 I never actually have directly seen my teachers working on Microsoft Word or including a curriculum which requires us to be fluent in the tool, but I do know that a lot of teachers use it to create their own assignments, letters to home, or signs in the classroom. I went to a high school that had an Early Childhood Magnet Program, which meant that if you were part of the class, you got to observe and regularly teach in a preschool setting right on campus. I participated in this class, and I regularly saw the teachers writing notes and newsletters about what their days consisted of to send home to parents.
I think I, or other teachers, have often seen issues with copyright in the classroom. I remember certain teachers would use worksheets that clearly said that they weren't supposed to be copied and yet teachers still copied them for us to use. I can understand the issue where a school doesn't provide enough books for students, but it is still an ethically incorrect thing to do. I think as a teacher, it should be a responsibility to come up with their own materials for use within the classroom, and that adds some value in a teachers work. I think that it is certainly a good idea to also have children create their own resources for learning, just so you and the student can gain a scope on their understandings.
There are several technology implementation issues that we actively see in our society, and yet still several ways we as teachers can combat them. When it comes to copyright issues in the classroom, teachers can simply attempt not to use resources that they aren't sure that they are able to use, and follow rules provided by publishers/writers of resources if they are going to use said resources in the classroom. Teachers can take an extra step in ensuring that they aren't incorrectly using any of their resources, and thus issues with copyright will be cleared. Another issue is with cyberbullying. I think that cyberbullying can be fought through the addition of anti-cyberbullying curriculum and programs in school which help promote positivity on the internet. While teachers may not be able to prevent everything from happening, an environment which is created to be open and accepting to all children and actively teaches children how to use the internet in a healthy manner can greatly reduce the effects of cyberbullying in the classroom. Finally, one last issue can be seen in the digital divide. The digital divide can be defined as disparities between children everywhere in their electronic fluency. Teachers can be actively helpful in stopping this issue by simply being aware of the resources that each of their students may or may not have access to. For example, not assigning homework which may only be done on a computer if not every student has a computer at home. However, class time may also be used to teach every student how to be comfortable in front of the computer and other technologies.
That's all for this week! Talk to you all next time!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
First, Microsoft Word has always been a favorite tool of mine! Lately, I only ever really use the tool for writing essays and class assignments like that, yet when I was younger, I would always pretend like I was a teacher and make various teacher tools through word. I was honestly probably more fluent in Microsoft Word when I was like eight, as opposed to now at eighteen. 😂 I never actually have directly seen my teachers working on Microsoft Word or including a curriculum which requires us to be fluent in the tool, but I do know that a lot of teachers use it to create their own assignments, letters to home, or signs in the classroom. I went to a high school that had an Early Childhood Magnet Program, which meant that if you were part of the class, you got to observe and regularly teach in a preschool setting right on campus. I participated in this class, and I regularly saw the teachers writing notes and newsletters about what their days consisted of to send home to parents.
I think I, or other teachers, have often seen issues with copyright in the classroom. I remember certain teachers would use worksheets that clearly said that they weren't supposed to be copied and yet teachers still copied them for us to use. I can understand the issue where a school doesn't provide enough books for students, but it is still an ethically incorrect thing to do. I think as a teacher, it should be a responsibility to come up with their own materials for use within the classroom, and that adds some value in a teachers work. I think that it is certainly a good idea to also have children create their own resources for learning, just so you and the student can gain a scope on their understandings.
There are several technology implementation issues that we actively see in our society, and yet still several ways we as teachers can combat them. When it comes to copyright issues in the classroom, teachers can simply attempt not to use resources that they aren't sure that they are able to use, and follow rules provided by publishers/writers of resources if they are going to use said resources in the classroom. Teachers can take an extra step in ensuring that they aren't incorrectly using any of their resources, and thus issues with copyright will be cleared. Another issue is with cyberbullying. I think that cyberbullying can be fought through the addition of anti-cyberbullying curriculum and programs in school which help promote positivity on the internet. While teachers may not be able to prevent everything from happening, an environment which is created to be open and accepting to all children and actively teaches children how to use the internet in a healthy manner can greatly reduce the effects of cyberbullying in the classroom. Finally, one last issue can be seen in the digital divide. The digital divide can be defined as disparities between children everywhere in their electronic fluency. Teachers can be actively helpful in stopping this issue by simply being aware of the resources that each of their students may or may not have access to. For example, not assigning homework which may only be done on a computer if not every student has a computer at home. However, class time may also be used to teach every student how to be comfortable in front of the computer and other technologies.
That's all for this week! Talk to you all next time!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Hey Emily! I loved reading your post! I love that you brought your own experience with certain technologies into this post. I find it interesting that you never really had teachers use Microsoft word. My experience in high school was very different, where in almost every class, the teachers used it for their lessons.
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