Blog Journal 5

Exposure to Twitter

I started using Twitter in 8th grade primarily to read tweets from artists and celebrities I was interested in. That element is still present in how I use Twitter today, but my current usage has evolved a bit too. I frequently use it to contact friends, and for a while, primarily used it for news and keeping up with global political discussions. Unfortunately, Elon Musk bought the company in late 2022, and my overall usage and faith in the site has plummeted. It is still very helpful for basic networking, but with massive employee layoffs, the consistent promotion of far right wing ideals, (particularly transphobia and Covid denial), and several detrimental changes to the site's design, my future with it is totally up in the air.

The Digital Divide

The digital divide is a huge problem in education today. With technology being so heavily integrated into most of our daily lives, the fact that many households don't even have internet access is unfortunately often overlooked. Students without access to computers are often at a major disadvantage, having to find alternate methods of internet access, simply to complete their assignments. This makes focusing on actually learning the material significantly more difficult. As a teacher, I would address this by trying to minimize reliance and technology, but individually ensuring all students have readily available internet access, such as extended access to classroom technology.

Educational Technology 

There is a plethora of academic software out there, and there has been for some time. When I was in elementary school, we frequently used programs like Reflex Math and FCAT Explorer, both of which I remember fondly. While ones like these designed for young children often function liked games, others like MathXL and Achieve300 were regular staples of my high school years. These all have their own pitfalls, but each make vital education more accessible and efficient, (at least in theory). In my classroom, I'd undoubtedly use Kahoot since it was on of the most entertaining programs I used in my high school years. Depending on the class I would be teaching, I might also encourage the use of Quizlet, which I have found to be a very helpful study tool throughout the years.