Blog Post #5

 When it comes to Twitter, I first created an account during my 9th-grade year of high school. But to be completely frank, I didn't start regularly using Twitter until I was in the 12th grade. Partly because it was really confusing to me. I didn't really understand how to use the app. I would always see people talking about tweeting and how fun it was, but I never had the spirit or the enthusiasm to really engage with it. All the time I would see celebrities, entertainers, actors, and athletes regularly using the platform. But in my ignorance, I didn't really understand how to effectively utilize the platform at all. But ever since my 12th grade year until now, I have been a regular user of Twitter and learning more and more every time I use it. I primarily interact with my friends, fellow classmates, and sometimes complete strangers discussing a variety of issues ranging from politics, education, sports, entertainment, etc. Twitter is a space that has a great deal of interest and intrigue for me because it could be a very helpful tool for one's career. Specifically for educators, it gives us a space for researching companies and different industries that are intertwined within the realm of education. Also, it allows an educator to keep tabs on what's going on within the field; for example, it allows us to stay informed about recent trends in the field and what's the primary topic of discussion. 

The digital divide is a very important topic of conversation to consider and I believe it should be taken quite seriously. With the times evolving and changing in the manner in which they are, it is a necessity to have access to adequate technology to stay consistent with the times. The unequal access to digital technology and equipment is having a serious effect on children and their quality of education. The divide is hurting them. With state-of-the-art instruction being provided on these digital platforms, I believe in this day and time, it is a necessity to have adequate access to these resources. With so many children coming from families with serious socioeconomic challenges and not being able to have access to these resources, it prevents them, in many instances, from being able to do things such as completing assignments on online platforms, joining virtual Zoom meetings, interact with their fellow students in remote settings, etc. Also, it diminishes their proficiency with digital literacy. This is the way of the world now and educators and students must have access to these tools so they can have periods of ample training with digital tools to prepare them for future experiences with digital technology and so forth. As a teacher, with so many things being done on digital platforms, students not having access to these resources is not only going to affect their success, but it's also going to affect an educator's success as well. Having students in a classroom without access to these resources will force an educator/teacher to develop lesson plans and curriculums with no access to these resources already in mind. 

In these days and times, academic software for students is not only essential, and with new technology and digital tools affecting nearly every industry you can think of, they are a mandate! These kinds of software go a long way in enhancing student learning, and it makes student learning more effective and efficient. A software that I would implement in my classroom is Google Classroom. First and foremost, it's extremely convenient and easy to use. It's a platform that can be accessed anywhere on almost any electronic device. It's a platform where assignments and resources can be quickly created and distributed for the convenient benefit of the students. And, it is a huge time saver! Another software I would use is Schoology. Schoology is a very versatile platform that allows educators/teachers to create dynamic courses that are tailored to the specified needs of each student. It provides a place for effective communication between educators and students. Also, parents can also have access to their student's progress in the classroom and get an accurate gauge of their child's learning experience. 

"Democratizing Deep Learning with ‪Nervana and ‪Google Brain‬ ‬" by jurvetson is licensed under CC BY 2.0.