Chapter 1: Becoming a 21st Century Teacher

3 Concepts from Chapter 1:

1) Today's Students and Technology
 iGeneration of Technology Users
-This is considered the group of students between the ages of eight and eighteen years old who have grown with the movement of technology.
I found this concept to be very true and interesting to read about. The textbook mentions (page 3) that before the late 1990's, kids from this age group did not know what it was like to have cell phones, text messaging, etc (Maloy, 2014). I was born in 1991 and have watched technology changed throughout my school years. It was (and still is) shocking to me now so I can only imagine how people in the generations before me feel. We are now living in a generation that is geared towards social media and social networking which can be extremely beneficial to future educators and students. We are lucky to have access to computers and handheld devices in school so that we may obtain information for our lessons but also to share interesting video and pictures with our students.



2) Technology and the Work of a Teacher
The textbook states (page 4), "Technology potentially transforms every learning activity", (Maloy, 2014). I found this statement to be extremely true. We can take everyday learning activities and enhance them by adding videos or having students use word processor to complete assignments. On page 6 in the textbook, there is a breakdown of the common technological tools used in the classrooms now-a-days. It discusses tablets, smartphones, and laptops and the ways they can be used in the classroom. There are a lot of people who find technology to be useful an not useful in the classroom. I think this page in the tetx would help those who do not agree with technology use to understand the benefits and advantage our students have to be using these.


3) Building Your Digital Identity as a Teacher
This concept refers to a teacher's personal talents and competencies with technology. Some of the ways that teachers can obtain their digital identity is by maintaining websites, creating digital presentations, and researching information and trends online, (Maloy, 2014). The textbook discusses three goals for aspiring teachers to create a digital identity. These goals are: Building a multimedia resume, learning resources and teaching tools, and modeling technology for students. All of these goals are important for teachers to keep up with the newest technologies and using them to enhance our teaching skills.


Conclusion -
In the end, we have been watching technology change for years. As educators, we will need to create a digital identity by becoming aware of the newest technologies, practicing the use of these devices, and coming up with ways to teach with them for our students.