Blog Post #5

     My early experiences with Twitter begin before I started taking EME2040. It was my source of news and information about current events. I would follow different news sources and different celebrities/politicians to get information. Twitter debates and trending tweets were definitely a fun topic of discussion for my friends and I. As for EME2040, I have followed some academic accounts: U.S. Department of Education, NEA, BBC Education, Education Week. This way, I am up-to-date on certain Education movements and successful teaching methods/tools. I have not posted much on Twitter for EME2040. During class time, I will participate in the tweet topic of the day. I have also participated in an assignment in which I go on a live twitter chat and answer questions. The chat I decided to partake in was the #edchat. It was not the best experience, as I had some different ideals that other participants. However, it was beneficial to see everyone's viewpoint on the topic. Being on Twitter has been a great way for me to gather information about the current teaching discussions. I believe this have been beneficial because I am more aware of what is happening in my discourse community. I have seen the struggles, the movements, and the initiatives at hand. This is integral to my success as a future educator because it will help me understand the best way to be an effective teacher in current times. I might use Twitter in my future career in many ways. I will use it to stay on top of current events, like I am now. Twitter can also be utilized as a fun way to do assignments and get information out to my class. It can be used in place of Remind101 if that is what my students' preferences are. I have really enjoyed using Twitter for education purposes and plan to continue using it in my future endeavors. 

    Digital Divide is a gap between individuals who have access to technology and individuals who do not. Due to this gap, student success can be affected in many ways. The individual who does not have access to technology will not be able to complete online assignments, quizzes, and tests. This can tarnish grades because there is no plausible way for individuals to complete the material outside of a school setting. If a teacher does not have desktop computers in the classroom, those individuals will not be able to participate. This hinders learning because individuals do not have the ability to apply the lectured knowledge in coursework. The individual with access will have no problem completing their work, unless they choose not to. Lack of technology availability can also affect potential job opportunities in the future. If a student is not well versed with today's technological advancements, they will not be able to compete with a more technology-inclined applicant. Some causes of digital divide included lack of money, location, and general access to free technology. Individuals from less affluent areas may not be able to afford wifi, personal laptops, or smartphones that can help them complete school work. If an individual is from a rural area, internet connection is not always the best. In order for them to complete their work, they would have to travel to an area in the inner-city with connection. This may not always be an option if they do not have means to transportation. Access to free technology is available in libraries and schools. Some stores offer free wifi. However, if an individual does not have access to these locations or resources, that option is useless. As for potential experiences in my future classroom, there may be students who can not afford technology devices or have access to internet. Keeping this in mind, I will strive to always have paper copies of assignments, quizzes, and tests. This way, students can still participate. I will provide loose leaf paper for students to take notes if they do not have a personal learning device to do so. Hopefully, the schools will provide desktop computers in my classroom. This way, students can use a desktop for online coursework. If internet connection is an issue, I will attempt to stay after school to give those students work time. This way, they have a definite connection on the school wifi and can complete any online homework if they choose not to get a paper copy. 

    Two software tools I would like to implement into my future classroom would be Remind101 and Google Drive. Remind101 is a software used to give reminders to the students. You can set specific times that the reminders are sent out, and students can private message a teacher to ask questions. I really enjoy Remind101 because it is a quick and easy way for teachers to get in contact with students and vice versa. I am the absolute worst at checking emails, but if I receive a text message, I answer quickly. Remind101 can be set up to show in your text messages. I know that it will help me stay in contact with my students outside of class if they need anything. I believe reminders are extremely beneficial to success. If students receive a reminder at night to complete an assignment that is due that evening or the next day in class, there is no excuse for not completing work unless they message me about an extension. I can use the "thumbs up" feature as a way to hold my students accountable for their work. Once I send a reminder, I will ask that they send a thumbs up in return. If they do not complete their work, but gave me a thumbs up, I will hold my student accountable for their actions. Google Drive is another amazing tool that really helped me as a student. I was able to keep my assignments organized, and I never lost my work. Google Drive autosaves documents, which is really helpful if a computer malfunctions or dies. Google Drive also has a share feature. An individual can share their work with another by adding that person's email. The student can make it to where the collaborator can edit or comment. I plan to implement Google Drive into my classroom. I will have all students create a Google Drive folder for my class. Each student will share the folder with me. This way, if they forget to turn in an assignment, I can just check the google drive folder to give them credit. Every time a new file is placed into the folder, I will automatically be able to access it. I believe Google Drive will be a great way to complete group work. I will create folders, and each team will have access to their folder. They can share work with each other and create one shared document for submission. This way, students do not have to worry about getting other student's contact information. All they will have to do is go to their Team's Google Drive folder and start collaborating. Remind 101 and Google Drive are amazing tools to keep students accountable and organized. I would like to use them in my future classroom because they are academic tools that I can trust. Google Drive allows me to track progress of assignments, grant grade forgiveness if a student forgot to turn something in when their work is completed, and it makes group work more simple. Remind101 allows me to contact students and parents, improve response time, and hold students accountable for "forgetting" to do an assignment. I think these tools will only improve the academic success of my future students.