Blog post #4

I am familiar with the CPALMS website because I used it in an education course last year to make a lesson plan, but I did not realize they included technology-based standards. I recognize the importance of incorporating technology into the curriculum and found a standard that I could see being used in a kindergarten or first-grade classroom such as my own. The standard SC.1.HS.1.2 is "Explain the need for adult permission before using a network-capable device. This is such an important standard for the age I want to teach because these kids simply do not know any better when it comes to technology. They get excited and click on anything and everything they see, which in this day and age is actually really dangerous. There are elements to the internet that should not be exposed to such young children, and making sure kids ask a trusted adult before getting access to the internet ensures that they will only be seeing things online that are beneficial and appropriate. With all the technology in my classroom, kids will always need to ask before going online, even though the iPads will not have anything inappropriate, it can also be a liability if they are messing around with devices. I feel very prepared to implement this standard in my classroom, especially because I am confident that parents will totally agree with me. 

One of the resources I found in the educator tool kit for the first-grade level was in the math section, and it immediately stood out to me. It is a standard that says children need to "Actively participate in effortful learning both individually and collectively." This standard immediately caught my attention because of the way I acted in elementary school. I was very shy and reserved, so I would never raise my hand or participate and relied on the rest of the people in my group or classes to answer for me. The teachers who forced me out of my shell to do independent work really benefitted me because it made me more confident as a student, which then led me to be more participative and helpful to my class when we did group work. I think it is so important for kids to master both group and independent work because they will need and utilize both so much throughout their time in the school system. One of the resources in this standard was a lesson plan called the Crumbly Cookie Company in which students must determine the best new variety of cookie flavors entering the market. They will have to work together to communicate their own opinions on aspects such as flavor, smell, appearance, and number of cookies in the package. This is such a good activity because it not only forces students to use independent and group work skills but also relates to a real-life scenario! 

Internet searching has become more of an issue as the average age at which children get access to the Internet becomes lower and lower because there are more and more uneducated people able to spread misinformation. As a teacher, it is so important to be a proficient internet searcher because of the way your students look up to you and trust what you are teaching them. The education and future of children are in our hands, so we need to make sure our resources and information are all correct and valid to give them the best education they can get. One of the best internet searching tips I use at FSU is to use the library database, but in my classroom, I will be looking only for peer-reviewed sources. Another tip is to do some background research on the author's credibility! 

Artificial intelligence is a weird subject for me personally because I am watching it develop right before my eyes. I would not consider myself technologically advanced and do not know much about it or the developments it's predicted to make, but I can only assume they will play a large role in K-12 schooling. I grew up in elementary school with little technology and mostly paper and books, and I personally think that is just the proper way to conduct an elementary classroom. How else are these kids going to learn how to write, draw, color, etc. They need these basic skills, and I do fear that AI will distract lots of educators from using old, reliable practices that children really do need.