Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Block One, Discussion A (Spring 2014)

Discuss a task that you completed in your youth that has changed DRASTICALLY due to technology. Elaborate on whether your feel technology was positive or negative to the task. Which one ISTE Student Standard was helped/hindered? Explain.

21 comments:

  1. A task that I would consider from my youth that has changed drastically due to technology would by the use of the library. The use of me going to the library on ground verses going on the internet has its positive and negative aspect. The positive point I would consider would be the array of material sources on the internet. The negative aspect is that sometimes it may not be accurate.

    ISTE Student Standards 1-6 Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, Digital Citizenship and Technology Operations and Concepts. All standards helped with some form of either working together or alone in a sense of Describing, Illustrating, communicating, identifying, collaborative finding, evaluating, demonstrating, producing, conducting experiments, practice, debating, applying; but not in this exact order.

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  2. A task that has changed drastically during my youth due to technology is the cell phone. During my teenage years i remember have a Nokia 5110 with the large antenna at the top of it. The Nokia was basic compared to the newer model phones in today's society. When I reflect back this particular phone I can remember me only being able to make calls, send text messages, and most of all playing the snake game. Over the years, cell phones has drastically changed and they are now considered to be a miniature computer. I feel that this type of technology is positive because you are able to do more such as: sending emails, searching the internet, taking pictures, video calling to family and friends, watch movies, and listen music all from a device that can fit into the back of your pocket. The ISTE Standards 5-Digital Citizenship and 6- Technology Operations and Concepts is helpful because mobile devices have a major role in students lives and it is important for them to be able to navigate and learn due to technology being relied upon in today's world. In addition, technology has an influence on the way students learn and how a teacher would teach a student based on the different types of technology.

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  3. The biggest change in my youth is the methods of social communication. In the past, communication was limited to personal communication. Sometimes it can be difficult communication and access to someone who is in another country. Contact was limited to phone and mail messages. But at the present time there is a many means of communication. We have a process that facilitates communication and continuity at any time and from anywhere. For instance, WhatsApp, Skype and Twitter. Like me now, in America, I can communicate with my family every day and at any time I want via Skype or Tango.


    ISTE Standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge the students need to learn effectively and productively. Simply being able to use technology is no longer enough, Because Today's students need to be able to use some of technology to analyze, learn and explore.

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    1. The biggest change in my youth is the methods of social communication. In the past, communication was limited to personal communication. Sometimes it can be difficult communication and access to someone who is in another country. Contact was limited to phone and mail messages. But at the present time there is a many means of communication. We have a process that facilitates communication and continuity at any time and from anywhere. For instance, WhatsApp, Skype and Twitter. Like me now, in America, I can communicate with my family every day and at any time I want via Skype or Tango.This technology has changed my life in a wonderful positive change, the world can not do without all of these techniques are constantly evolving.

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  4. Technology has made my life so much easier, and has made many tasks more convenient. It is amazing when we see computers have replaced them to iPads and small laptops, home phone to cellphone, and maps to navigations, so technology do help me in many ways. The task that has changed due to technology is my cellphone. Now, I have a smart phone, and it allows me to communicate with people wherever they are because of the social networking. How a lonely life would be without Skype, Twitter, etc. I cannot image that.
    Also, I could have never imagined that I can do my tasks wherever and whenever I need. Doing research is easier now than before. For example, checking out places to visit, shopping online, finding jobs, learning something, and much more…Thanks to Technology…
    The ISTE Standards which is the critical thinking is very helpful for students. It encourages them to be more independent when they raise the questions, collect data, and enable them to find valid solutions about academic matters. Also, it opens their minds and think deeply when they apply some assumptions and consequences.

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  5. Growing up as a child, business was conducted on a purely physical basis and mostly through cash and carry. I remember my parents and I usually bought whatever we needed using cash or checks if need be. Every transaction was usually paper based, for instance, buying a shoe to buying the latest car in town was usually conducted through cash. However, I can now buy a phone, shoe or shirt without having to count physical cash or taking that long and laborious journey to a retail outlet. I can now sit in the comfort of my room, thanks to technology and conduct any transaction with just a couple of clicks on my computer or smart phone. I personally believe this drastic improvement in how business is transacted has greatly reduced cost, travel time and other miscellaneous inconveniences associated with conducting business the old fashioned way. In my opinion, technology has been very beneficial in how business is conducted today. In addition, it has reduced the amount of cash I carry around and has secured my money in a card. Even though online transactions have loop holes, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.
    Digital citizenship I believe is the ISTE standard I would preferably link to my above experience. This standard has been improved by online transactions because students exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity. Some also practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology when using online transactions.

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  6. I grew up in a small village in a third world country where farming was essential to our communities' livelihood. Duties considered as heavy, like construction and gardening were done by a joint community effort. All of us, the young to the old, were notified of the scheduled date for the task. For instance, during the planting season, we would wake up at sunrise, carry our ancient hoes, everyone according to their size and ability and head to one of the farms. We would tilt moving from one person's plot to another until all the land is ready for planting. We would then help each other plant, weed, and harvest.
    These were not the only activities we did together but they were the backbone of community effort.
    These tasks were strenuous but they kept the community intact. Everyone viewed the other as family. Either brother, sister, aunt, uncle,parent or grandparent. Obesity was unheard of in my village. Since we were one big family, we looked out for each other, so indiscipline was minimal.
    The introduction of tractors and other gardening technology excited individual farmers. Some own these tractors while some decide to rent these gardening technological tools. In as much as technology has lightened the physical burden and hastened the pace of production, it has killed a vital part of our cultural heritage. My small village no longer operate like one big family. I am told one can sit in their house the whole day without going outside! All they need is a cell phone and they can call for everything to their door step. This was unheard of when I was growing up. We walked everywhere for almost everything. I blame technology for the increasing rate of obesity in my village.

    In as much as technology has increased the speed of communication in my village, it obstructed physical communication and collaboration.

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  7. As I think back to my youth, and my most dreaded activity, I have to say the invention of Microsoft Word has drastically changed my life. As a high school and college student, I was writing papers with an electric typewriter. It was considered state-of-the-art at the time, but it could drive you crazy! I remember being able to "self correct", but the eraser would only go back approximately 20 spaces. Inevitably, my mistake would be 30 spaces back. If I ever had to use liquid white-out, I could never get my paper lined back up correctly, so I would have to start typing the whole page once again.
    As an adult, and a new college student again, I am so thankful every time I open a new document on Microsoft Word. The endless possibilities that you can create boggle my mind. Being able to write in any font, any size, any color, etc., and then being able to move any words/phrases to any location on the page is so incredible coming from my past experiences. This invention is definitely a positive.
    The one ISTE that was helped was creativity and innovation. Microsoft Word allows anyone to create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

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  8. A task that I completed in my youth that has changed drastically due to technology is the art of taking notes. In yesteryears when a teacher would lecture in a subject, the student would write down, in their own words, what they deemed significant information. Now teachers use projectors and powerpoints in which students usually copy verbatim because it is this information that will most likely be on the test or exam.
    I feel technology has had a negative effect on the students abilities to process the given information to make it most beneficial and authentic to them. The positive effect is that the student does not waste time studying insignificant information as it applies to what that particular teacher wants them to learn. Utilizing projectors and powerpoints helps in the ISTE Area of Research and Information because the teacher is able to present, to the students, relevant information concerning that particular subject, by displaying it on a screen as oppose to writing it on a blackboard and/or lecturing.

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  9. A task that I completed in my youth that has changed due to technology is reading and buying paper books. I remember when I wanted to read a book, I should go to the bookstore and search for a good book to read and buy it. Now, with the technology, all what I need is searching for a book online and downloading it to my iPad, cellphone, or laptop and that all can be done online with no need for going to the bookstore.
    I feel technology has a positive impact in reading books because now I am able to download and read books online anywhere and anytime.Also, whenever I have a time to read I just open my iPad or my cellphone.

    The ISTE area that was helped is Research and information fluency because students now can search online for a book that they need for their reasearch. They do not need to go to the library to search for books, they search, download, and read online.

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  11. A task that I completed in my youth that has changed drastically due to technology is the accessibility of the internet. Throughout my middle school and early high school years, the internet access in my home consisted of dial-up. During my sophomore year of high school up until my sophomore year of college, the internet access in my home consisted of broadband. The internet access in my home currently consists of a wireless network.
    The various technological advancements in regards to the internet has been immensely positive to the task. Some of the benefits include convenience, mobility, and productivity. I am able to access the internet on a lap top form nearly any convenient location, resulting in a high level of productivity.
    The ISTE Student Standards that was helped the most because of this advancement was Technology Operations and Concepts. I was able to successfully master each area of this standard due to the advancements in accessibility of the internet. As far as the internet hindering the ISTE Student Standard previously mentioned, I feel that the advancement of internet is extremely beneficial to this standard. Without the advancement of the internet, this various aspects associated with this standard would be unattainable.

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  12. As a child growing up in The Bahamas, we had one island-wide public library. It’s where students like me went to conduct research for school projects, both large and small. My mother would drop me off with a pocket-full of quarters to pay for the photocopies (because their change machine rarely-if-ever worked) to make of clippings from the “vertical file.”

    This generation of students rarely have to leave their homes to acquire the kind of information that required me to make the trek to the public library. The connectivity of the internet has made information so readily accessible that library visits have become a thing of the past. Technology has in this way, been both a blessing and a curse. Students now have the convenience of the internet but have lost many of the other experiential lessons that go along with library visits including independence, interpersonal skills and...well, the courage that goes along with doing it on your own.

    It has helped ISTE Standards Research and Information Fluency as well as Digital Citizenship and has hindered Communication and Collaboration.

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  13. The task that changed for me was going to the mall. When I was growing up and my friends and I want to go to the mall there was a system that both parents would have to uses as well as the children. It went a bit like this… Younger Dale on phone, “hey dude, you want to go to the mall and walk around, maybe catch a movie will see if the girls want to go with us to the movie to.” Tarbell on the other line, “who are you bringing?” Dale, “Anne and Winnie.” Tarbell, “ok I will go.” Now the plan is set. We now where we are going and who is going. The only issue is whose mom we are going to go with. It can be Anne or Winnie’s parents because they would want to hang around with us, it had to my either Tarbell’s or mine. This time we chose Tarbell’s mom. We met with the girls and jumped in the minivan and went to the mall. This is where the trick comes in, when we got to the mall my friends and I needed to be seen walking through the food court entrance, but the moms always want the door to Belk’s or Dillard’s. So we got dropped off and we would say we will meet up with Tarbell’s mom before the movie. The movie would always start at 5:15pm but we would always say that the movie started at 4:30 which would give us 45 mins of freedom to do what we wanted in the mall. We would meet back up with Tarbell’s mom after the movie right in front of the movie theater. Why was she at the movie theater instead of Belk’s or Dilliard’s, because she was waiting around for 30 mins after she was done and being the nice woman she was drove the minivan around to pick us up. Grab some Ice cream before we leave for the girls and one for Tarbell’s mom for being a great driver and one mall trip done and we still look cool. Now the cell phone killed all the planning. All kids have to do is all their parents and say “mom will you pick me up by the food court?” The standard that was hindered is obvious, creativity. If a guy like young Dale and Tarbell are sexy and funny we are a one two knockout punch of love, but to make a call when you are ready to go to your mom is lame and sexy will only get you so far. I miss the planning…

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  14. Katrice Heyward DonaldsonFebruary 3, 2014 at 2:27 PM

    One task that has changed drastically due to technology is the task of keeping in contact with others through the cell phone. I can remember wanting to have my own land line so bad but never being able to get it as grandma wasn't having it. I soon was able to get a beeper, however the problem with that was you still needed to find a quarter to call the person back or wait until you got home. Finally, I got my cricket. That was my first cell phone. Being a female, with a car, it made me feel a lot safer being on the road in the event of an emergency or just keeping in contact with everyone exactly when I needed. Now, as we all know, cell phones are able to do so much from GPS, to watching movies, shopping, to texting and many many more applications. Hardly anyone uses their cellphone for just talking anymore. Cell phones have so many functions. I feel as though the impact of cell phones and its changes are positive as the possibilities are endless. Being a mom of 4 and wife has its challenges. If I can pay a bill on my cell instead of having to physically go to the place or check my account immediately I am all for it. They have made life easier, however the downside is it may make us a little lazy because you have so much at your fingertips. One other downside is texting. It has replaced actually talking to one another which could hinder those needed communication skills. The ISTE standard that I would connect this too is Creativity and Innovation. The development of the cell phone help to change the way so many task are completed throughout the day. The inventors saw a need and took that opportunity of bringing about convenience in which most people crave, thus helping this particular standard. The ISTE standard it hindered is Communication and Collaboration. While b. states under this standard that we should "communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats", the collaboration end of it is compromised because many people hide behind texting causing social and writing skills to suffer.

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  15. Being the 10th anniversary of Facebook today the task that has changed drastically since I was in school is the use of social media, specifically Facebook. I got Facebook my senior year of high school which was 2007 and then you could only get Facebook if you had a college email address! Now I know elementary aged students who are on Facebook! When I was in school the popular social media outlets were AOL instant messenger and Myspace. Even though instant messenger and Myspace are still around, they aren't as popular as they once were! Back when I first got Facebook I could only go on from home, or a library where I had access to a computer. Now with cell phones and tablets Facebook can be accessed anywhere anytime. Also with Facebooks continuing popularity you can connect with almost everyone you know via Facebook. I have reconnected with friends from elementary school, family from other states and friends who live in other countries. Facebook has changed the way we keep in touch with friends and family, instead of writing letters or making phone calls to update our loved ones on our life a simple status update keeps everyone up to date. Being able to update others on our lives and opinions so quickly and easily would be an example of the ISTE standard communication and collaboration. Facebook also helps us develop a better cultural understanding by allowing the opportunity to interact with people all over the world. While I think some of the kids who use Facebook today are way to young, I think that for adults Facebook is a great communication tool when used properly. Thanks Mark Zuckerberg for 10 years of countless hours spent creeping on ex boyfriends, exboyfriends new girlfriends, friends, family and frenemies.

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    1. Happy Anniversary Facebook. I thought it was Tom all this time.

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  16. Research! Wow! How much better it is today thanks to technology! I remember the days of going to the musty, hot, poorly ventilated, dimly lit library as under grad and having to pour over the card catalog, microfilm, microfiche, and the dreaded stacks to conduct research for papers. Periodicals and dissertations were often stored like gold behind the librarian's border crossing into the most valued of resources. Not only were these resources tough to find, they were impossible to check out and therefore you had to spend hours and hours at the library to get any real research done. Moreover, research was done on index cards and keeping them in order was a task in and of itself. Probably the toughest thing I felt about doing research as an undergrad was knowing if you had the most current data or not. There was nothing worse than receiving a term paper back with Professor notes such as, "newer source required, data too old, requires deeper dive." I am still haunted by those comments some 25 years later. In short, technology has brought the most current research and data to my fingertips via the internet in the form of peer-reviewed journals, most current dissertations, and cutting edge on-line periodicals and blogs. Technology has cut down the time of the search while improving the quality of the material at your disposal. Technology has allowed me to work smarter, search deeper, and go farther in the scope of my research than I ever could as an undergrad which contributes greatly to my study in becoming a teacher. I reference ISTE Standard 5 to back my opinion as it states:

    Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership inter-school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.

    I'm a geek and like to do research.

    Christopher Washko
    M.Ed. Candidate, Elementary Education

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  17. One thing that has changed drastically due to technology is social media and communication with friends. Growing up you met friends on the playground or in class. Nowadays you can be someone's "friend" on Facebook without ever knowing anything about them. Social media has totally changed the meaning and depth of the word "friend". A friend can be considered someone who messages you, pokes you, likes your pictures, or comments on statuses that you post. You can be there friends without ever conversing, hanging out, or discussing meaningful topics in person. When I was young, I was not friends with people across the nation or exposed to people who live across the world. Now I can befriend those who live thousands of miles.

    I believe Facebook and technology has had a positive influence overall, but in this task it has had a negative effect. There are plenty of people who are online. Befriending those online who you do not know pose a threat and can be very dangerous. The TV show Catfish is a good example of how online interaction can be difficult to have as well as dangerous to commit. The use of technology in friendship is not as safe as many portray. I wish times were back where meeting and courting someone was the way to go; not liking their pictures online. A friendly phone call led to a dinner date followed by a movie, and not just poking them on Facebook.


    Facebook has helped the furtherance of the ITSE standard of communication and collaboration. Businesses are on Facebook and online and many can connect there. Communication between people across the world has been furthered due to Facebook.

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  18. I recall typing my papers on an actual typewriter as a child. My first draft was written out completely prior to using the typewriter. While composing my draft, I was diligent about checking my spelling and grammar on the written draft. Once I felt my review and re-review was sufficed, I began to type my paper. I had several typewriters growing up. The first typewriter I used did not have the ability to erase and if a mistake was made, I had to start typing the page over from the beginning. The next typewriter we had was an upgrade because we were able to erase mistakes! Instead of starting the page over from the beginning, I was able to “backspace” to erase mistakes. The next typewriter we acquired actually helped with spelling errors!!! That was the elite of elite when it came to typewriters. I could also type in the color red if I wanted!
    As you can see the process has improved drastically for typing papers. Computers and word-processing software has helped advance the writing process tremendously. Now I can re-arrange sentences, I have access to spelling and thesaurus resources, I can imbed charts, graphs or pictures, and I can save multiple drafts. Not to mention, I can write each sentence in any color I choose.

    The ISTE standard that was helped with computers and word-processing software was Communication and Collaboration. The ability to send a document through email and connect with various scholars has been improved with document software.

    Reem B Halasa

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  19. Posted on behalf of April Banks:


    When I was younger, I used to have to hand write all my book reports. At times the book reports were lengthy, and I would have to take a break from writing because my hands would hurt. The best thing that ever happened to me was a computer; even better a computer with speech to text conversion software. This software allows me to speak and edit my thoughts for papers, and reports without the pain of hand writing everything. Obviously, I believe this technology was positively helpful for writer’s everywhere. Specifically, I believe the ISTE Student Standard that was helped was Technological Operations and Concepts. The standard states that as a result students will understand and use technological systems. I had to learn and use the software in order to make the software beneficial to me. I had to retrain my normal thought process for writing papers. I used what I already knew to help me make sense of the new technology available to me.
    Prior knowledge of how to use the technology was not available. I transferred current knowledge to assist me in learning a new technology. Moreover, I selected which software I wanted to use. After learning how it worked it was up to me to use it wisely; effectively and productively. Overall, I love having the resources as needed.

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