Digital Blog Post #A - The Impact of Tech on Educators and Students

I felt this chapter was a particularly good introduction to the fact that education is as important to educators (and as familiar to my generation) as it is to the students they will be educating. It is a wonderful tool through which virtually any information can be attained. It can also be a particularly frustrating distraction to tackle, as many students do not part with their smartphones or Twitter accounts easily. It can become a chore to even get them engaged in the learning. Which is why the story featured at the beginning of Chapter 1 was of particular influence to me. The anecdote with Hilary and Anthony wasn't about facts, it was simply an introductory method. But it spoke to me as someone who grew up in an age where the internet was at my fingertips. I have been able to utilize Google and Wikipedia from the time I was in middle school. And as someone who has essentially grown up with this technology (and seen it grow more advanced), I believe that I, along with other educators in my generation, can relate to students tech issues very well. My digital identity is something which can help my students understand me more as a person and subsequently help them perform better in my classroom.

Interestingly enough, there are a number of areas in our society considering the impacts of our collective digital identities, and the importance they have in building others trust and perception of you as a person. As a teacher, building a professional and easy to navigate profile will help my students get to know me before they set foot in my classroom. This is something policy makers are even considering in terms of legalities and framework for the way we all interact online. It was discussed in an article on GSMA's website. GSMA is a mobile technology based company and the article is an interesting take on the future of personal presence on the internet.
This video can also help in dissecting the underlying meaning of this newfound extension of ourselves, as well as the permanence in impact it holds.

Finally, I liked TPACK, or technological pedagogical content knowledge. The term essentially refers to three forms of knowledge, and using those forms to create better opportunities for our students to learn.
To convey content knowledge is to teach, and that is the first form.
 Pedagogical knowledge refers to all of a teachers knowledge on teaching methods and the various other information related to the actual practice of teaching.
And finally technological knowledge is the way to refer to knowledge of various technologies and the potential they yield in education. Those technologies include the internet, as well as those old bastions, books and chalkboards.
All of these things combine make a powerful impact on learning.

The impact of technology on the profession of teaching cannot be understated. The impact it has had on my own life is incredible, considering I have only lived for two decades. And the fact that it is advancing at an exponential rate is still more astounding. It is important for me, and all educators, to bear in mind our experiences with tech both as students and educators. Through those experiences, we can relate to our students. With regards to our digital identity, we can help build relationships with students before they even enter our classrooms. And by using TPACK, we can draw on all of our knowledge and use it to educate our students in a full and rich way.

Resources 

The future of digital identity in building a successful digital society. (2016, February 16). Retrieved January 22, 2017, from http://www.gsma.com/newsroom/blog/the-future-of-digital-identity-in-building-a-successful-digital-society/

Maloy, R. W., Verock-O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S. A., & Woolf, B. P. (2017). Transforming learning with new technologies.

Enriquez J. (2013, February). Juan Enriquez: Your online life, permanent as a tatoo [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/juan_enriquez_how_to_think_about_digital_tattoos#t-46955