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After reading this article, it is evident that there’s a lack of understanding between the Digital Natives and the Digital Immigrants. One example says, “our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.” This older generation does not know how to work with the technology the way that we have grown up learning and it is hindering their ability to reach their students. Another example is that they lack the motivation to want to learn how to use today’s technology and instead keep wanting to teach in the way they know which won’t work with students who aren’t entirely familiar with spending their free time with their noses in books but rather in their phones or televisions. The last example of the lack of understanding between the two generations is that because of the difference, the Digital Immigrants believe the only way to teach is the only way they know how. The article states, “It’s just dumb (and lazy) of educators – not to mention ineffective – to presume that (despite their traditions) the Digital Immigrant way is the only way to teach, and that the Digital Natives’ “language” is not as capable as their own of encompassing any and every idea.”

Both sides to this argument, the Digital Natives and the Digital Immigrants, carry pros and cons. Pros of the Digital Native side, in other words using technology in the classroom, are that students would be more apt to want to participate and study when they are familiar with the tools being used and would take less time having to learn something they are unfamiliar with. Another pro is that there would be a lot more accessible resources for students to use and find a wide variety of information for anything they’d need. Cons of using technology in the classroom is that it could be distracting to some students and could easily get them off task. A pro to not using technology in the classroom is again, less chances of students getting distracted. A con of the Digital Immigrant side is that students are less likely to pay attention because they’ll get bored. I agree with the fact that technology should be introduced as a resource and learning tool in the classroom because it is something I am familiar with and would be able to teach and incorporate well in my curriculum. I believe it would be beneficial for the students to learn in a way that they’re already familiar with and with something that appeals to them for them to really grasp what is being taught in the classroom.

One question I am left with after reading this article is how will the older and newer generations compromise in order to get the most out of both their experiences to be able to learn and teach the best way they both know how.

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After reading The Digital Generation II, it is evident that as educators it is our job to become more familiar with today’s technology that your children know so well in order to help them better engage and succeed in the classroom setting. Even though we have also grown up in a world of technology, it has only become more prevalent as time has passed which means there are things that even we have to catch up on. The article states, “Educators must become learners themselves, and discover the digital world.” Although this statement is true, we do need to better educate ourselves on today’s digital world to get your children interested in learning, I believe we don’t just need to learn about technology but about how each individual student learns and operates, how someone better understands a topic than another and so on. It is important to be able to reach the needs of the entire classroom through one subject. Another important point to this article is that we need to stop telling them what they need to know. “The problem with telling is that it takes the excitement of discovery out of learning. Telling also eliminates the motivation for learning.”. If we keep telling our students what they need to know, they will no longer have anything to be looking for. The third and most important point I took from this article says, “And they need authentic audiences in a variety of settings and contexts in which to demonstrate what they can do. But most of all, they need the encouragement to try and do things in all kinds of performance areas with all kinds of tools, technologies and techniques to create all kinds of products that reflect their understanding of concepts. Knowing content doesn’t make you competent; competence is the ability to apply content in some useful way.” Not every student studies well and not every student tests well. The article gave the example of a pilot: they don’t want a pilot who’s just able to pass an assessment but is also able to show that they’re able to land a plane properly 100% of the time, even when things are going wrong. Paper tests aren’t always the greatest reflection of your student or their teacher but should be used more for growth and understanding that that may not be their strong-suit.

The two sides to this article are that of the digital learner’s learning and the traditional school teachings. There is a clear disconnect between the two and how they’re incorporated, or maybe lack-thereof in schools. Digital learners such as your students like to get their information fast and have access to thousands of resources whereas in schools the resources are typically slow and limited, i.e. books. Another disconnect is that technology offers multitasking and traditional teaching with textbook and lecturing does not. Traditional teaching also feels required to teach to the curriculum and guides and students work more independently but digital learning offers fun and active resources with instant reward where students can interact and collaborate. I believe it’s beneficial for students to be able to collaborate while also working in a familiar environment that gets them excited to learn but can also be taken home where that connection and familiarity grows.

One question that I am left with after reading The Digital Generation II is how are we, as teachers, going to prepare for and incorporate technology for the digital learners in order to engage them and get them excited about learning?

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After reading this article titled “Technology Can Make Students More Intellectual”, I have taken away three key points. The first of the three points is “just-in-case learning” and “just-in-time learning”. These are the explanations of the difference between school versus technology. School prepares our students with knowledge “just in case” and technology equips them with knowledge “just in time”. The second of the three points is that reading, writing, and research will be improved spectacularly because of their exposure to the internet. It will allow us access to applications to bookmark, annotate, archive, and share faster than before which will help your students learn and gain better access to many outlets and sources to coincide with their schoolwork. The third important point I took away from this article is that by using adaptive systems, students can excel faster. Because your student will be exposed to seeing their efforts paid off faster, they’ll be more invested and excited about their schoolwork.

The two sides to this article support the “just in case” learning and “just in time” learning that was previously stated. “Just in case” learning equips your child with knowledge to think back on and use “just in case” in any situation. “Just in time” learning provided by technology offers a quick way to access information needed “just in time” for assignments, projects or finding more up-to-date information that not all textbooks carry.

One question I am left with after reading this article is how can we effectively and efficiently use both traditional school learning and technology without one hindering the other- what is the best way to combine both learning styles to keep a balanced curriculum while providing versatile learning for diverse students?

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After reading this blog on assistive technology, I have taken away three key points that the article itself pointed out. One of these key points is that assistive technology does not have to be high-tech. Low-tech devices such as pencil grips and rulers to provide a straight line to follow when reading are considered AT tools as well. The second point is that assistive technology can be used to go around a challenging task to make it easier for students instead of ignoring a problem altogether or to help students gain a better understanding of something they struggle with and also to support their learning. The third point is probably the most important: for AT to be effective, it needs to be used within quality instruction and teaching. To be able to help students excel in the best way, we have to provide them with the proper tools while also including them in the classroom setting.

Although assistive technology is incredible for our learners who need it, there are also some downsides to it as well. AT has been a phenomenal tool used to improve our students’ learning and has allowed them to stay on par with their classmates while also learning in the best way for their specific needs. One of the downfalls, though, is that there’s a lot of trial and error that happens. In order to find out what works best for each individual need, you have to first try different AT options until you find the one(s) that work for your student. Another downfall is that just like with anything else, technology can sometimes fail us so if the best learning technique for a student is online or through an app, it may not be readily available one day. To make up for the latter, as previously mentioned, there are low-tech tools that are an option as well.

The question I am left with after reading this article is why aren’t we doing more research to make sure we are providing the best up-to-date tools to provide a better learning environment for our students who rely on assistive technology? If only a few researchers are conducting well-designed research, then why aren’t we finding more researchers willing to do this work for our students?

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After reading this blog entitled Digital Citizenship, I took away three major points, the first one being that in today's society and the society of the future, citizenship is no longer just personal but digital too. The second key point I took away from this article is that in order for teachers to be able to foster citizenship in their students, they must first analyze the types of citizens the 21st century requires to be able to properly prepare your student. The third and final key point I took away from this article is schools are now teaching your students to be "personally responsible digital citizens", or teaching each student to be responsible, obedient, and productive "netizens"(an avid user of the Internet) while navigating the online world.
The two sides to this article discuss several schools enacting a ban on social media and the schools that include it into their curriculum. Banning social media can be a good thing and these schools in Madison, Wisconsin that took part had a reasonable cause. They wanted to see how social media affects behavior, grades, and safety and take away the distraction of the online world. While I agree that it is a good way to examine how social media is affecting your students, I also think that it is important that we teach your students how to properly use it since it's growth is inevitable. It is important for students to know how to avoid online dangers of the Internet and also how to be responsible when taking part on social media.
A question I am left with after reading this article is how can we properly equip your students with knowledgeable information about social media and online interactions while also making sure it doesn't become a distraction in their academic lives?