Journal 4

Twitter 

My experience with Twitter so far has been minimal as I need to begin incorporating tweeting into my daily routine. Interacting with classmates on Twitter is proven beneficial, especially in college life. In the Twitter app I have both the opportunity to share my own thoughts and questions while also reflecting and responding to other peoples comments. This sharing mechanism can be helpful in the classroom setting as a teacher because information can be spread in a relatively quick manner and others can comment back. So, as a teacher if I have a parents twitter page that would be a great way to keep them in line with whats going on in class while offering them a window of speaking opportunity with any questions or concerns. 

Digital Divide 

The digital divide references the gap between individuals who have access to technology and those who do not. People typically talk about the digital divide in the education system as it causes a lack technological equipment and skills that come with using that technology. The digital divide is typically caused income, race, and educational point. For example, an impoverished family would not have enough income to send their students to a school which provides ample opportunity, but rather they are sent to a less developed school with minimal technological resources. As a teacher I may experience this very same situation and in order to address this I need to remain sensitive to issues related to this divide and support children's educational learning with or without technology as a primary tool.

Academic Software 

Software for students in the classroom serves as a benefit to all the children in practice and has also become a teaching tool for teachers. In my classroom I would make use of the smart board technology where I could display notes, classroom assignments, announcements, and all the students to come up to the board and interact hands on. I would use this tool as both a platform for building technological skills and a way of interacting with the school environment hands on. I would also use online gaming technology for educational games whether that be: math, english, science, or history. From this online gaming, students could develop a conceptual understanding of the subject matter in an engaging way.