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As a student, I use Word for absolutely everything such as note taking, writing essays, outlines, and assignments, and making graphs, charts, and posters.  I highlight, bold, bullet and number, and insert pictures to make my notes easier to read and to organize my notes more efficiently. I’ve seen my teachers use it to create tests, quizzes, worksheets, syllabi, lesson plans, forms and permission slips, and newsletters to parents.       

My experience with copyright and fair use in school began with learning how to cite everything in MLA format including websites, books, and other peoples' written works. It was drilled into my head anything that isn't your own you need to cite. We were taught not to plagiarize and to give credit where credit is due. I had citation assignments, so that I knew how to do it without the help of a computer. I would deal with these concepts of copyright and fair use as a teacher to develop instructional materials by creating my own original materials and when I need it to use open resources and revise them. When addressing students, I would teach them the importance of siting resources of information in a grade appropriate way.

Some new skills I learned about using Twitter as a personal learning network is that it could be used to have an interactive chat through a hashtag. I normally just used Twitter to follow famous media stars, but now I could use it to follow updates about education, educational technology and so much more. Twitter allows students and teachers to be connected outside of the classroom. I can use Twitter to connect to other teachers in the area and around the world.

Post 1

Computers have become an essential part of the educational experience because they are useful tools to both student and teachers. Teachers use them to create lesson plans, worksheets, powerpoints, videos, and communicate. Students use them to complete assignments, create projects and videos, and to research information. Computers give the opportunity to both teachers and students to enhance their teaching and learning respectively.  Some critical concerns related to how teachers and students use computers is their access to the technology. Computers are expensive; some schools and students do not have the funding to purchase them.   It also takes time to learn how to use different programs for educational purposes and to start using them in the classroom environment for teaching.  Another concern related to how teachers and students use computers is cyber safety. As teachers we need to protect our students not only in the classroom community but also the cyber community.


One ISTE standard that I like for students is creativity and innovation. It allows students to explore technology they use presently and create new ways to improve upon it and develop better technology for the future. I find that young children have endless ideas for new inventions and innovative products.  As a teacher, I would encourage my students to learn more about technology and to be creative. I think it is really important not only to support and promote their concepts, but also to positively critique their process to complete a project.  Throughout high school, I took part in a science, technology, and innovative competition that challenges students to create and communicate new technology 20 years into the future to solve real world problems with present technology.  This experience has made me appreciate creativity, collaboration, innovation, research and the teachers who fostered it.  An ISTE standard that I feel is outside my current skill set would be customizing and personalizing learning activities for students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools because it takes time to learn students’ learning styles and creating new activities for each is difficult.     



I agree with the label “digital native” for today’s youth because we are so dependent of technology such as computers, cell phones, televisions, and radios. Students today grew up in a digital age and are typically exposed to some form of technology. A digital native is defined as a person who has grown up knowing technology and how to use it. The only difference that I have seen between digital natives and digital immigrants is how comfortable they are with using technology. Some natives are very equipped with the skills to use technology while some are not and the same goes for teachers. The teachers’ knowledge on how to use the technology has impacted my learning experience because I am a very visual learner and their use of projectors, smartboards, and powerpoints helps me learn better. Although sometimes when they do not know how to utilize them properly it delays quality teaching time, but I have come to understand that difficulty. A difference I anticipate between my future students and I in terms of technology use is that of being an early adopter. There will be new technology exposed to them that they will know how to use better than I do.  

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