Technology has become the foundation of education. I cannot even picture a world where technology didn't exist in education. How did people learn without it? It makes me wonder if education was more accessible and equitable before or after technology was introduced? On the surface, technology presents many benefits to education, helps teachers plan, allows students to complete assignments outside of class, and makes grading and tests easier to complete. However, a crucial question arises with technology, and that is does everyone have equal access or is technology actually oppressive? We are too focused on how to best implement technology in an ethical way, before we even think about if we should really even be implementing it in the first place. Many large scale companies benefit financially from the use of technology in the classroom which is a huge motive behind the increased use of it. The use of technology is largely motivated by money, but the problem is that educators are struggling to find accessible, ethical ways to successfully implement technology in their classrooms without leaving students behind.

This question became even more relevant during covid when education was switched to online learning. The effects of covid are certainly still being felt today, as many students fell behind or were not properly equipped to succeed when they weren't learning in a classroom. It is clear that diversity plays a huge role in creating learning gaps and examining who is best being served by our education system and who is being left behind. Due to pedagogies, some students are not given equal opportunity to succeed. The so-called "best practices" are not actually the best for everyone, rather they are only the best for a certain group. It is important that educators and lawmakers take a deeper look into how each student can be accommodated to be successful in school.

It is crucial for students to have a certain degree of choice in how they learn. Some students may learn better when working with others in groups, while other students may do better working independently. Either way, students will be more engaged and excited to learn when they have some say. Without this choice, the danger is that students will become too dependent on the teacher and need constant assistance with completing their work. The ultimate goal is to have students who are self motivated and self driven to complete their work to the best of their ability. The only way this is possible is to have students who are excited to learn by giving them some choice in their learning style. This concept also relates to Bloom's Taxonomy and the different levels of learning. First students must understand a topic before being able to analyze or create anything from it. When students have the choice to learn in a style that best suites their needs, they are more likely to succeed, retain information, and be independent of the teacher.

It is crucial for teachers and all users of the internet to evaluate the learning goals and outcomes of a digital tool, what it is aiming to achieve, and if it is a trustworthy tool truly designed for education. In our day and age of technology, it is getting increasingly more difficult to determine is a website is legit. It is important to determine if the website does not have any bias, is not an AI, and is not just trying to make a profit. Make sure the digital tool you are using actually does what it says it intends to do, what is the purpose of the tool, and are students protected while using the app?

I didn't learn about Bloom's Taxonomy until last semester in an education course. Prior to knowing about it, I never understood the importance of learning material in a specific order to better understand and retain the information. Bloom's Taxonomy is set up in such a clear cut, understandable way. Being pyramid shaped, it is easy to see the base of the pyramid is the most important, the foundation of building knowledge. You can't work your way up until you have a strong foundation. For instance, you cannot apply knowledge until you are able to remember it and understand it. This is a key aspect to learning and teaching, and understand what tools will best suit your learning needs.

There are many improvements that need to be made in order to ensure more transparency and digital protection for all users. Why is California the only state to implement these laws so far? More states need to do the same. It is not too late to implement laws and protection.

Websites and companies share a "privacy policy" with the user and force you to agree to the terms and conditions before being able to use the tool. However, they purposefully make these agreements way too long for anyone to read or understand, nonetheless find the important pieces of information in a sea of unimportant words. Furthermore, these privacy statements are not accessible for all users, so how is it possible for some people to even read them?! This is very sneaky and dishonest on the website's part, because they slip conditions in there like being able to share your data and collect information you don't truly know is being collected. But, you can't argue because technically you did agree to it, how could you not? If you need to use a website but don't want to read the pages and pages of conditions, you have no other option.

I do believe there is a serious potential for AI to change the way students learn in the classroom and the wide array of options for them to demonstrate their skills. AI can be very beneficial to learning and teaching, but I believe it is all too new at this point to safely implement it in classrooms. We still don't know what data these AI systems are collecting from us, how they're using it, or where it's going and who has access to it. It gets especially messy when teachers use these tools in the classroom and are jeopardizing their students. Before AI tools are used in the classroom, I strongly believe there needs to be more testing and trials done to find out what it's all really about.

This is so scary about social media, and it happens with every app, website, and digital tool. It is so hard to tell when a website or app is tracking you, or collecting your data. It truly feels like we have no privacy anymore, even when you think it's a "private" message. Apps and websites get you in this way because yes, they have a privacy policy, but it's microscopic print, 100 pages long, and not easily accessible. Who is going to actually read that? No one really knows what it says in any privacy policy statement online. I feel like the privacy invasion and collection of data from online users is way too intrusive and just crazy to think about. Where is my information going? Who is seeing it? How long will it be out in the world? Everyday, when I use Tiktok or Instagram, I get videos, photos, and ads that are completely geared towards me and my interests. Sometimes, I even get random posts on my feed about something completely from left field that I had been thinking about earlier that week! The whole thing is so creepy and I wish the internet was safer and more private. It is important for kids and adults to understand the risks of using digital tools, in school or out of school, and act accordingly.

This is arguably the most important aspect about a website. If the site is not usable and appealing to a user the very first time of use, it is extremely off-putting and will not encourage the user to come back and try again. It is frustrating when you can't accomplish basic things on a website with ease the first time exploring it. Of course, there is always room for growth and exploring new features as you get more familiar with a website, but if you are put off and discouraged you will never have the inspiration to go back and keep learning. Learnability, accessibility, and ease of use is the most important part of any website and will determine if users go back and visit the site again.

This is very important when teachers are creating rubrics and using them to evaluate a student's performance and learning outcomes. All too often, teachers use a generic rubric that is too vague and not tailored to the exact learning expectations of the project. As this article discussed, a rubric must be technical and clear, accessible and easy to understand, and be able to serve its intended purpose. For instance, a teacher in an English class cannot necessarily use the same rubric as a history teacher uses on their essay projects. Moreover, even the same teacher probably can't use the same rubric for different projects in the same class. I recall in my senior year of high school, every student had to complete a senior project on the topic or interest of their choice. However, the problem with the rubric was that every student was given the same exact rubric, no matter how different their project was from the next student. This led to very skewed grades and unclear learning expectations. The rubric was too broad and vague and did not clearly state desired learning outcomes or final products.

These few sentences perfectly sum up disability. Everyone is different and requires varying levels of help and equity, but that doesn't make them any less of a person. People with disabilities are just as capable when given the right resources to help them achieve their goals and live a normal life without struggling to complete basic tasks, due to lack of accommodations. A person's disability does not deem them incompetent or incapable, rather the environment and people's attitudes is what holds them back.

Accessibility is an enormous road block in education. Not every student requires the same level of help as others, which introduces the topic of equity vs equality. We need equity in education. Some students need a little extra help or accommodations to make the playing field fair. As someone who has never had to worry about accessibility, I never even thought about the struggles some people faced during covid and the emergency switch to online education. This article highlights visually impaired students struggling and being left behind in this situation because they weren't properly equipped to learn from home on their computer. Websites need to have apps that allow students to listen to the text and not have to read if they are visually impaired or have a learning disability. Educators need to be creative and think about inclusivity and accessibility so no student gets left behind or is forced to struggle.

I have never heard of Tinkercard before reading this article, but I applaud the way they write their instructions. Even with this app that I am unfamiliar with, just simply by reading these step by step instructions, and looking at the visuals, I feel like after a little practice I could navigate it. By breaking down each instruction step by step, the user feels less intimidated and better prepared for success. Starting small with basics, then working your way up to projects and advanced modeling is a great approach to an app that could certainly be overwhelming. I also enjoy the visuals, as I am very much a visual learner and struggle with instructions when there isn't a picture to reference.

I definitely had mixed reactions with my first time using Twitter as an educational tool and joining the Twitter Chat. I felt overwhelmed, confused, and had a hard time navigating the app and finding my bearings. I still think Twitter is difficult and confusing to navigate, but I am already more comfortable using it. I do believe it could be a super helpful and educational tool to help teachers if used correctly. On the flip side, I also understand why people may shy away and be hesitant of creating their PLN due to being overwhelmed, just like how I felt using Twitter for the first time.

I always seem to have this problem of getting overwhelmed and lost in a sea of information when I search something on the internet. Especially when I'm doing a research paper and I'm looking for specific information on a subject I never know how to narrow down my search and get the information I'm looking for. Then, if I do make a very specific search, it yields no results. I appreciate these tips on how to make an effective Google search, and I will definitely use these tips to help me in the future.

Although PLNs do have many advantages and benefits to learning, it is always important to note any challenges or hurdles that may be presented to both students and educators. It is important to make sure that the information that is being digested is accurate and unbiased. Sources of information should be cited and the the content should be of good quality and supported with proper evidence. There are also other dangers that are presented with PLNs and the use of the internet for learning. There should be a secure connection and all the information should be protected from hackers. Overall, I think that PLNs are a great idea, and once educators learn how to take the necessary precautions and are aware of any dangers of the internet, it can be a very successful learning tool.