EME 2040: Blog Journal #5

     I've had a Twitter account for my own personal use since 2013. However, I created a new account for this course. Last night, I interacted with those on the #BuildHOPedu Twitter chat. This Twitter chat was wonderful, and I met new people from around the country. Each of them has a goal to make education a hopeful and safe environment for everyone. Interacting with them has been beneficial because we all share the same ideas and thoughts about education. Finding a group of people who share these sentiments allows us to connect, even if it's through the Internet. In my future career as a lawyer, I hope to use Twitter in a positive way. With the help of Twitter, I can connect with my clients on a daily basis. I can share my information such as office location and times of operation. Twitter can be used as a great networking device. 

    Digital Divide can affect a student's success in the classroom. In today's society, the majority of education is done on a technological device. As such, students need access to the Internet or a computer in order to complete assignments virtually. Unfortunately, if a student does not own a technological device, it could affect his/her success in the classroom. The student may have missed assignments because he/she was unable to complete the assignment.  This lack of ability to access the Internet can also hinder a student's success in the future workforce environment. They will not be prepared to use technology in a higher education or work setting.

    Some causes of the Digital Divide are when one does not own a computer, when one does not have Internet access at home, and when one does not readily access a computer and the Internet in a public setting. As a classroom teacher, the Digital Divide will affect my teaching strategies. I have to be flexible because not all of my students are able to complete assignment digitally. I need to have extra paper copies that students can take home if needed. I may experience issues because I will not be able to communicate with students once school finishes for the day. 

    I will implement software tools in my classroom. For example, Quizlet and Socrative are two software tools I would use. Quizlet offers students the ability to study in a digital way and provides simple learning tools to create their own study guides. This tool will help my students find a simple way to study. My students won't have to create physical flashcards when they can use the flashcard option on Quizlet. Furthermore, Socrative allows me to create simple quizzes that students can access on a laptop. With this tool, I can create quizzes for my students without using pen/paper. I can also print extra hard copies of the quizzes in case a student does not have a digital device.