Blog Journal #5

Prior to this course, I had never downloaded or used the Twitter app. I initially thought it would be more difficult to navigate; however, I quickly got the gist of it. I started following various education-related accounts, and I enjoy scrolling through the interesting and informative tweets posted by those accounts. In addition, I joined an #edchat last week and thought it was nice to see people engage in a dialogue about black culture (and Black History month in general).
These interactions have been beneficial in that they are helping to improve my online communication skills. Face-to-face interactions are vastly different from virtual ones, and it is important for me to understand that distinction.
In my future career, Twitter can help me build connections and also reach a large audience. I am passionate about education and political reform so, naturally, I aim to be very vocal about those issues. Twitter can help me deliver any message I may want to send to my followers.

The digital divide in education refers to any unequal access to technology. In other words, not all students have the same physical access to technological or digital resources, especially those who are underprivileged. The lack of access greatly affects students in that it becomes more challenging for them to complete any online assignments. Moreover, these students are unable to reach their full potential because they do not have resources that will help them build important skill sets.
Some of the causes of the digital divide include a lack of funds, as well as little to no public information. Not enough money is given or donated to public schools with great need. More importantly, parents/guardians are not provided with sufficient information regarding outside resources and tools that can help students who cannot access technology at home.
As a future classroom teacher, I anticipate working with students who may come from low-income families / underprivileged neighborhoods. Therefore, I know I will have to strategize and work hard to apply for grants, provide parents/guardians with information about public libraries and their resources, etc. I will also try my best to work with the school administration to allocate funds; these funds will be used to purchase more computers and tablets.

Academic software for students is a necessity. In today's digital age, technology is convenient and offers quick, easy access to information. Hence, students must be well-equipped for the future - they need to be exposed to a variety of softwares and devices.
Two software tools I would like to implement in my future classroom are Canva and Google Drive.

Canva is used more so for graphic design and art purposes, but I would like to use it so that my students learn how to create something. I want to place an emphasis on creativity and the value in knowing how to make newsletters, banners, and more. As far as Google Drive, I believe students should be keenly aware of file storage. Google Drive allows users to save any and all work they produce, which decreases users' stress. Having worked saved - even the most recent changes - is incredibly important.
Both softwares are completely free and accessible to every person.

✨ Nat's Blog ✨