The Story

As a student, Word was heavily focused on for learning how to use it in my technology classes. When I was younger, I would use it to print out pictures or practice paragraphs. As I grew up, Word grew up with me by becoming more accessible, more technologically advanced, and provided more tools to create more than just an essay document. I have used Word to write papers, to create activity sheets, to make flyers, and to make checklists. Moreover, I have seen my teachers use word mostly to create tests and quizzes. Word allows an educator to keep a very organized structure, and teachers can change a part of the document with ease, so most of my teachers have used Word as the go-to software. Also, my earlier teachers used Word to create worksheets for the elementary class setting. Again, the software supports a structured document, and it is relatively easy to use. Being the editor-in-chief of my high school yearbook, I ran into a lot of copyright issues when trying to add graphics to p...

For ISTE standard four, Innovative Designer, I focused on resources that will help with the brainstorming process, a key element in innovation. I found this website, Stormboard , that allows students and teachers to collaborate on ideas. It is free for educators, and through the educator it is also free for students. I think that this website will help students be Innovative Designers because it creates an easy atmosphere for students to put ideas down, and the class can look at the thought process as a whole and comment on each others work with ideas of their own. Furthermore, I think that this tool would be ideal in a high school setting because it does require an email and is a little advanced, but other grades could use it if the teacher thinks it fits into the class.

Using technology in the classroom is becoming more of a norm as the years continue on. As technology becomes more accessible to the common citizen, I believe that its availability influences teachers and students to use it in the classroom. Students are learning how to use a vital tool that will help them in whatever career path they choose, and teachers can use it to make the content more interesting for students and hold their attention for longer periods of time. Also, technology can fill gaps that teachers may have. Students always have questions that teachers do not know the answer to, and technology makes answers to those questions easy to come by. The ISTE standards for students and teachers are very realistic when relating it back to today's society. The standards are reachable for both groups, but they're not too easy to achieve. Each standard provokes thought and desire in people to want to absorb all that technology can teach them. Specifically, I find the teacher ...

My name is Elizabeth, and yes, I use my whole whopping name. Who I am begins with my name; I am someone who always goes full out, who sticks with projects until the very end, and who always will persevere until I am happy with the results just like my name. I am a first year at Florida State University, majoring in Elementary Education. I have always wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl, setting my stuffed animals up and teaching them what I learned in school that day. So, being here is somewhat of a dream come true. Also, I have danced pre-professional ballet for sixteen years, but what I love to do now is curl up in my hammock and read a good, jaw-dropping book. As far as educational technology goes, I am pretty well versed with the standard Microsoft software, but I thrived in high school with using InDesign and Photoshop while being a member of the school's yearbook. I have a knack for creating flyers and posters, and it is one of my joys to be able to do so. W...