Blog Journal #5

    Twitter was the one social media that I never got involved in, along with Facebook. I have accounts on both platforms; however, I just don't engage on them. I have been using Twitter a bit more since this class has required us to download it and engage with it again, and there is a lot of good information on all sorts of topics. There is political news information, non-important news such as celebrity drama, and so much more. I've found that this is what Twitter is really for, and I find it interesting that other platforms such as Snapchat have shifted over into that as well. Snapchat used to only be for friend engagement, but now there is a whole section devoted to just news and widespread engagement. I believe Twitter will be helpful in my future career because there is so much advice and tips you can find from people in your field.

    The digital divide is the gap between students who have access to the internet and electronics and the children who struggle for that access. Having technology available can positively influence a child's success in school. A child who does not have access may be more behind than a child who does because they would have a headstart on internet smarts and updated technology software - just a few more things they wouldn't have to learn in the work world. Some causes of this divide are economical and social status. Higher-income areas have higher tax brackets, allowing more money to be put into the schools in that area. Low-income neighborhoods have less money available to put into schools resulting in what could be the digital gap. As a teacher, I will make sure that the head of the school understands the importance of technology-incorporated education. Technology has advanced very quickly and is still causing many changes, and educators need to keep up with the speed of change to help kids with their best future in mind. 

    In my future classroom, I would like to implement Quizlet and Prezi. Quizlet can be used for many different tasks. The main task I would use it for would be making flashcards for various topics. The students create their flashcards through their accounts, and once they are made, you can play games with them instead of just looking at them. I've always found that active engagement, like memory games, wakes you up more and allows you to focus better, remembering the things you have studied more effectively. The second software I would use in my classroom is called Pixton. Through Pixton, students can create their comic or storybook, being able to edit pretty much everything about the way the characters look, the background, and the layout and details of the text. It is an engaging way for students to creatively develop their own story or explanation for a story/book. This is good for students because they can have fun while completing tasks and using their imaginations.