#2 Yo dude, what's the Word?

   As a student, I have been using Microsoft Word for as long as I can remember. Whether it was for writing papers, answering homework questions, or simply playing around with Clip Art for poster projects, Word has pretty much been my friend since day 1. As far as seeing my teachers using Word, I have seen them use it to make worksheets or note outlines. In college, I've had professors create bare-bone lecture outlines that they put on Black Board for us to fill in during class. Word is awesome because it is so easy, especially now in college, to send documents back in forth to classmates or colleges.
 
   Copyright and fair use issues have mostly affected me as a student in a research context. I often use the internet and other resources for research, especially now in my major looking at specific political science literature and research. For the most part, I have always been taught that anything that I didn't create myself must be attributed to the original author in order to avoid plagiarism. My first two years of high school were spent at arts school and when we created films for our juries, we were able to use any background music. However, if we wanted to submit our films to festivals, we would have to replace copyrighted music with generic Garage Band songs.
   In an education or professional setting (ex. teaching a presentation on mass incarceration or another civil rights issue), I would e using mostly statistics or case briefings in order to present material. Statistics won't really pose a copyright issue, but case briefings and political literature must always be attributed to the original authors. Not only does this protect against copyright infringement, but just in general, it also makes you seem more credible and reliable as a presenter/educator if you are backing up your assertions and providing credit.

   One issue that arises is the issue of academic dishonesty in the digital age. It is easier than ever to copy and paste someone else's words and try to pass them off as your own. I know that many of my teachers in the past have required that papers and projects be submitted to a plagiarism checking website like "Turn It In. If I were a teacher, this is certainly something that I would implement not only to make my life easier, but also to stress to students that academic dishonesty is a large issue.
   Another issue is the issue of free speech. While I want students to know that they do have a freedom to say what they want, I also want them to understand that there is a time and a place for every type of speech. I would want students (especially older students) to understand that the type of speech that they use colloquially at home may not be appropriate in an academic setting. I would try to simply reword student's language while still stressing that their thoughts are valuable.
   A final issue is the right to privacy. Especially when it comes to grading and student records, it is incredibly important that those documents don't fall into the wrong hands. I would absolutely use a password protected grading system to protect student's privacy rights. Another thing that I would avoid doing would be submitting grades while students are in the classroom. I know that this isn't always avoidable. But, as a student, it was always embarrassing to have a teacher accidentally put Grade Quick up on the projector or have it up on their computer screen while they were talking to other students. No one needs to see my grades but me.

#1 Digitally Native

   Essentially, teachers are forced to use technology in the classroom by the government. I wish there was a more diplomatic or delicate way to phrase that, but it is what it is. In order to receive grant money, technology must be used in some way shape or form. But, with that being said, teachers have begun to use technology for everything from attendance to presenting materials to communicating with student's parents. Students use technology to reinforce the lessons taught by teachers, address issues with the diversity of learning needs, and to foster critical thinking, creativity, and communication. Based on the variety of ways that a student learns, teachers are able to use technology to personalize lesson reinforcement for students based on their unique learning characteristics. For example, a student may learn better in groups so a teacher can put together a small group of children to work together on a powerpoint presentation to present to the class. This way, technology is being introduced to the environment with the students using it to both create and present the project. Additionally, the student's individual learning needs have been met.

   So as someone who had never even heard of ISTE until a week ago, this is all very new to me, and I'm not gonna lie, a little complicated to understand. I guess the main takeaway that I got from these lists of standards is that there seems to be a real emphasis placed on increasing both student's and teacher's personal creative expression. I like that idea a lot. Specifically, I'm referring to standard 6g on the teacher standards file to "cultivate creative student expression". I think that in a lot of ways, through standardization of testing and other aspects, creativity has been pushed to the back burner in schooling. So by using technology as a way to bring that back to the forefront, a lot of students will be able to personalize their learning experience and thrive in school. I know that for me, I went to art school in middle and high school and my favorite projects in core classes were always the ones where I was able to express myself through my art. Everyone has a talent/passion so hopefully using technology will allow more students to utilize them in school.
   As far as the "over my skill set" part of these  standards, my issue isn't with a specific standard but rather the actual implementation of these standards as a whole. I am not an education student, and I won't pretend to know squat about it. So while these standards and ideas of implementing more technology and creativity sound fantastic, I have no clue how I would actually include them in a classroom or education setting. When I think back to the projects that I did in middle and high school that utilized technology, I appreciate my teachers a lot more now knowing that those projects were crafted from a list of incredibly ambiguous standards. So shout out to Palm Beach County teachers cause y'all are the bomb.
 
   I think that the term "digital native" is a very accurate way to describe today's younger generations. Considering that I struggle to remember a time when I didn't have access to a computer or cell phone means that I grew up with a lot of technology. My little brother, who is now 12, is even more of a native than I am. He is constantly showing me different ways to do things on Snapchat or Instagram. I consider myself pretty well versed in social media tech, but somehow he always finds a way to show me up.
   In the class room, I have seen that a lot of my teachers have struggled to use document cameras. Some have even struggled to make a YouTube video full screen. While in the moment it can often be frustrating, I have to remind myself to take a step back and remember that this technology is new to them. They didn't grow up knowing that the "full screen" button is always the little box in the bottom right hand corner.
   While I would like to say that I, in any type of instructional setting, will be proficient enough in technology education to avoid these issues, it would be naive to assume that technology will stop advancing here. Despite the fact that I may know a good about computers now, that doesn't mean that I'll know anything about the computers of the future. Digital natives of the future, that is people younger than me, will most likely know things about pioneering technologies that I don't, no matter how often I try them out. This isn't to say that I won't be a little more comfortable with technology than the teachers that I had, but I do mean that kids seem to have a way of knowing stuff that I could never hope to.

#0 Getting Started

   Being a 90's baby, technology has pretty much always played a role in my life in some way or another. Whether it was Tamigachi (is that how it's spelled.....???) toys when I was a kid or getting my first computer in middle school, I have always had some type of technological device in my hands. However, the extent to which I have utilized these devices for more than just Netflix or Google has grown exponentially since starting high school. Whether it is using research databases, online literature tools, Prezi, tutorial videos or other resources, I have begun to use technological devices, and specifically my computer more and more. And, I have a feeling that technology will continue to play a role in my life, both personally and professionally.
 
   In this class, I hope to learn how to more efficiently integrate the use of technology into my academic life. Obviously I know the basics of Word and Powerpoint, but of course any useful tips and tricks would be welcome. Additionally, Political Science is very heavy in statistical analysis, especially using computing soft wares like "R". The more I can learn about technology in general, the more I can excel in my field of study. But let's be honest, I would rather be napping than trying to figure out some crazy project on the computer. Nobody has time for that nonsense or stress. So, if this class teaches me how to mitigate the time that I need to spend on research or creating presentations, I'm all about it. Tech on.
 
   Honestly, I'm not surprised at all by the results that the quiz showed me. I know that I'm a fairly balanced learner. I know that I prefer lists and seeing things done in an organized and sequential pattern. I also know that I learn best when auditory, visual, and sensory methods are utilized simultaneously. So this quiz pretty much confirmed that about my optimal learning style. Hopefully knowing this in better detail will be able to help my initial learning and study habits in the future.