Technology has become such a huge part of our society today, both in our personal and professional lives. We use it to store important documents, manage money, connect with family, and make online purchases. Therefor it is vital that we expose kids to technology usage and give them the skills in order to grow with our tech saturated society. However, there will always be concerns about weather the student are using technology for the right reasons or not. There is also the expense of suppling schools with proper tools, which in some communities is not a practical to provide with their budget. Overall I do agree that technology in the classroom is a vital part of teaching children to be tech- literate.
I think that one aspect of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) that is wonderful is that it is educating both teachers and students to use and apply the tech skills they need to further succeed in life. I do not agree that the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) are testing and evaluating the skills they "should" have because we have no idea where these individuals where brought up and it is somewhat unfair that it is expected.
I agree with the label that calls our the youth of today "digital natives". This is because A paragraph on whether or not you agree with the label “digital
native” for today’s youth. Which means that kids today have grown up with smart phones, tablets and computers. They are use to having information accessed at a fingertip all the time and are familiar with how they work. Unlike our grandparents and some parents of today. I have seen differences between the generations when it comes to how fast it takes kids and adults to pull up an email or video. I have seen the impact in communication in classroom. When teachers couldn't make the power point correctly or just did not know how to use smart boards. Some times I find it frustrating but personally I learn better from teachers writting out notes on the board so it does not effect me dramatically. In the future I foresee my classroom being packed with technology with presentations for almost every lecture with interactive games and learning activities they can use on their tablets or computers.
I have only seen one ISTE test and that is for whether a school/district is properly aligned with the standards. For now, these standards guide the experiences you provide your students, but you do not test them. However, you do assess the Florida Standards which infuse tech. The digital divide, some kids having access and others not, is an ongoing concern - you are right.
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