Digital Blog Post #A - Chapter 1

           There are many concepts of becoming a 21^st-century teacher that I would like to explore.  The first would be what sociologist call a digital childhood.  “By 2010, over half of U.S. children under age 5 were using some type of electronic learning toy and watching nearly four hours of television every day” (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 3).  Before beginning my studies in Elementary Education, I thought that was unhealthy for children.  The reality is the iGeneration has an advantage over those of us raised in earlier generations.  Technology is second-hand to most children.  Being a foster mother in recent years gave me the opportunity to see the advantages of technology in the classroom first hand.  A 6-year-old boy that I fostered had limited parental guidance and help with school work at home.  When he came to my home, and I changed his schools, his new teacher suggested that I use LeapReader to assist him with his reading.  He was lagging in every class, but reading was most difficult to him.  After starting the LeapReader, he was reading above his expected level within four months.    
           Second, college was not as accessible when I graduated from High School.  Technology has brought courses into the home, allowing anyone to get an education through virtual classrooms in grade level schools, homeschoolers, and online college degrees.  For the past year, I have been taking online courses at Florida Institute of Technology.  Through technology, I had full access to the school library, class labs, textbooks, grades, tutors, and many other resources.  At 50 years old, would I have enrolled in college without the ease of online classes?  Probably not. 

Lastly, Web 2.0 tools are most exciting to me.  These highly interactive tools open many doors in the classrooms.  The video below does an excellent job explaining how Web 2.0 tools are educators in every aspect of our lives, not just in the classroom.  These tools are truly our information highway.  With a little research, I was able to find an interesting article with 12 Easy Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom, Even for Technophobic Teachers.  This article eases my fears of some the technologies we have to learn. 

           After reading the first chapter, I am more excited than ever about my career as an educator.  Using the tools that are available in a creative way will make the classroom a fun and productive learning environment for both the teacher and the students.  The options are endless as technology has completely transformed the way we teach and learn.   

References

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.    

Howe, D. A. (2007, April 4). What is Web 2.0.  Retrieved May 14, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn8j9QCX_Mw

Haynes, K. (n.d.). 12 Easy Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom, Even for Technophobic Teachers. K-12 Teachers Alliance. Retrieved May 14, 2016, from http://www.teachhub.com/12-easy-ways-use-technology-your-classroom-even-technophobic-teachers