In recent years, technology has become such a huge part of society itself. We use our phones to pay at stores instead of cards, we can keep in touch with friends across the world, and even shop at online stores instead of in person. With technology being so integrated into our everyday life its no surprise that teachers and students are influenced to use it in the classroom. By using technology that kids are already familiar with the technology becomes more of a tool than a learning task itself. Kids can now do labs with VR and the experience is just as meaningful but gets kids more engaged. For teachers integrating technology allows them to see a different kind of interest come out of students in their lessons. This is because they are incorporating things into the lesson that the students are actually interested in. Overall, technologies role in our society has a big impact on influencing teachers and students to want to integrate it into the classroom.
ISTE is an important standard for students and teachers in this digital era. For me, the goal of a student being a digital citizen is the most meaningful. By helping them get comfortable online while building a safe digital environment they are less likely to experience the negative side of the internet. With technology in the classroom students will learn to show the respect they give in real life to people online. By teaching students this from a young age, cyberbullying can be limited and it will be a safer place for everyone online. Something that is currently outside of my skill set though, is being an empowered learner through technology. While I use it to find information for papers, or personal knowledge on current events, I don't set goals for myself. I don't set up a stream of knowledge to constantly help me grow, but instead each time I search for knowledge I start new each time.
For today's youth, I think it is a very accurate label to them as "digital natives." This is because by definition of digital native is a person born or brought up during the age of digital technology and therefore familiar with computers and the Internet from an early age. Today's youth from a young age has been given access to advanced technology and as it has progressed has had hands-on experience with the latest version. This allows for them to create a strong background knowledge which in turn enables them to master unfamiliar technology quicker than other generations. You see this with students helping teachers get websites or presentations to work in class. Even though the students may have never used this software before because they have this knowledge from such a young age they are able to teach the teacher instead of the other way around. As a digital native, it makes learning frustrating at times because you get upset that you are having to explain what you view as basic knowledge to your own teacher. However, when digital natives become a teacher, I think this will no longer be an issue for students like it is today.
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