I believe that there is a plethora of factors that influence the use of technology by both teachers and students. From a teachers’ perspective, I believe that technology use is influenced by the goal of engaging students on a level that is preferable to the students. I also believe that teachers use technology in some instances in order to add a level of fun to a lesson, such as by incorporating a game or video. I believe that students are influenced to use technology because they are extremely comfortable with technology. Students are also influenced to use technology in the classroom by the vast amount of online resources and learning tools readily available.

          According to the ISTE standards listed on the http://www.itse.org website, there are many standards that educators should be striving for in the classroom. One standard that I consider meaningful would be the “Learner” standard. I find this standard meaningful because I truly believe that no one is ever truly done learning. We can always pursue opportunities that teach how to refine existing skills, as well as learn new ways to complete tasks. One standard that seems outside of my current skill zone is the “Designer” standard. This standard seems challenging to me because I do not consider myself to be the most creative person and have very few skills in designing digital learning environments.

          I absolutely agree with the term “digital native” to describe today’s youth. To be considered a digital native is to be born into a more digital-forward society, and thus more naturally capable of navigating the digital world comfortably. Throughout my schooling years, I have seen great differences in how digital natives and digital immigrants use technology. I believe that in many instances digital immigrants look to digital natives for technological help. For example, I remember being in high school when Smart Boards were introduced into classrooms. On many occasions, teachers would ask students for help calibrating the board and running the split screen feature. I believe that in the future, older generations will continue to look to younger generations for assistance as technology continues to advance. I believe that the help required will be marginally less; however, because the growing generation of teachers are digital natives.

I commented on Hayley Singer and Jacob Loveland’s blogs. I found both blog posts to be very insightful. I agreed with many of Hayley’s ideas regarding influences on technology use in the classroom. Hayley connected the most with the Designer standard of the ISTE Standards, while both Jacob and I found this specific standard to be outside of our comfort zone.