Digital Blog Post #A- Chapter 1

 The first thing that stuck out to me while reading chapter one, Becoming a 21st Century Teacher, was all of the statistics in reference to technology used by very young children. The textbook showeds a statistic that shocked me,"At the youngest age, about two-thirds of nursery school children and 80% of kindegartners use computers"(Maloy,2013, pp.4).I knew that the percentage of technology used by teenagers would be quite high but I never expected the percentage to be so high for nursery and elementary students.When I become start working with students, I would like to teach 1st or 2nd grade and I didn't think technology would be such a big part of what I would be doing. The statistics in the beginning of the chapter definitely make me realize how important technology is in education both for the teacher and the student and make me realize how important it is that I learn how to use different kinds of technology more efficiently.
   
The second concept that really interested me was when the textbook addressed technology-based library and technology-based teaching tool. The paragraph about technology-based library I found really interesting and awesome. I think it is so amazing that teachers can interact online with eachother, sharing teaching lessons and advice. It really helps me feel better prepared become a teacher knowing that if I ever need help with a lesson plan help is only a few clicks away.The paragraph about technology-based teaching tool also was very interesting.I found it very interesting because when observing schools I saw this concept everywhere, I saw students seperated in small groups teaching themselves on computers and smartboards while other students were working with the teacher. The students seemed to enjoy learning on their own with the help of the computers, and it also made them more eager to prove they could do it on their own. I realize that when I become a teacher it'll be important for me to practice using technology as a tool. 

The third concept I found helpful and interesting was about building your digital identity. I realize now after reading about this concept how important it will be for me to build a strong digital identity, for future employers to look at and for future use in the classroom. Making sure I know how to use technology is of utmost importance when it comes to my future capabilities as a teacher.This article helped show me the impact technology has on teachers and made me realize just how much a modern classroom uses technology. 

In conclusion reading this first chapter of the textbook helped me realize that technology plays a bigger part in education and teaching than I would have ever thought and it's important that I start preparing and learning about technology now before I become a teacher. 

Resources-

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.  

Purcell, K., Heaps, A., Buchanan, J., & Friedrich, L. (2013). How

Teachers Are Using Technology at Home and in Their Classrooms. Retrieved May 15, 2016, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/02/28/how-teachers-are-using-technology-at-home-and-in-their-classrooms/