Blog Post 5

     I have used Twitter for about 7 years now. I have only used it for recreational purposes (entertainment, sports, news, etc.), and I am aware that some people use it for professional purposes. My account for this class has been useful in the sense that I use it to connect with communities that share the same interests as me that include promoting mental health awareness and the importance of culture in the classroom (educational Twitter accounts and discussions). For the future, I think Twitter will be able to help me with career building like LinkedIn does with making connections via interests.

    Reading about digital divide and its role in the classroom was very eye opening to me. Although I attended a Title 3 school in Jacksonville, FL, compared to other students, I acknowledge the privilege I had concerning my access to technology. Our school was fortunate enough to be supplied classroom laptops to carry out our online work and I was able to do these activities outside of the classroom with my own personal laptop and cellphone. As a teacher and student, it is important to recognize our own privileges and access to technology through the digital divide and attempt to close that gap with government school funding which would enable classrooms to be supplied with laptops and computers. My strategies as a teacher approaching the digital divide would to make my lessons inclusive with only some technological immersion (taking turns on library computers, having students read about technology, and visual presentations from my own laptop.)

    Two software tools I would want my students to familiarize themselves with are: PowerPoint and Microsoft Word. Regardless of the grade level, these tools are important for academic success because they are both teaching and learning tools throughout their academic careers. With these software, I would show my students how to use PowerPoint through my own use and have them help me make a presentation. I would want the activity to be fun and hands on for them. Microsoft Word would be used to create a story or make bulleted lists by showing them the different keys to using this software as well.