Blog Post 5: Twitter, the Digital Divide, and Academic Software

When I think about all of the social media sites I have used in the past few years, Twitter has definitely been one that I have enjoyed the most. I created my first Twitter account in the summer of 2013 one night while I was bored at my grandma's house. I had been on Instagram for some time, but I wanted a social media where there wasn't much of a pressure to post or where you weren't limited to only posting photos and videos. Also, a lot of the memes that would go viral on Instagram were screenshots of viral Tweets, so I really wanted to give the site a shot. When I made my account, I was not wanting to post about my personal life, so I made one that stayed pretty anonymous. Honestly, Twitter was hard to get used to at first, it was very different than Instagram. To the point where after making my account and not being able how to figure out how to use Twitter, I logged out and did not reopen the app for another three months. But it ended up being one of those things that when you finally understand how to use, you're hooked for good. After I learned how to navigate Twitter and its unique features it became the social media app I used the most. I have never used it to post about my personal life, my ideal social media was one where I could interact with people who share my same interests, just see what others have to say, and look at funny memes, so Twitter made that possible. The professional advantages that come with Twitter were unfamiliar to me until recently, where we made Twitter accounts for EME class. I had never used Twitter for anything that was personal or serious, but now I see that schools, professors, organizations, other students, etc. use Twitter to share resources and build networks. The ability to retweet makes it easy to share any resources you find too, so if you follow an account that relates to something you wish to pursue professionally, you can get easy access to new resources. Although the Twitter account I made for EME class is still not a depiction of my professional persona, I am gonna work on making that happen, so that I can take advantage of everything the platform has to offer from a perspective that I've never used before. 

Technological innovation has reached such great heights during our generation that it can be easy to assume everyone has access to it. Especially when you're someone like me, who has had the privilege of having access to reliable technology and the internet since a young age. Although technology keeps evolving so fast and being mass-produced, there is still a large sum of people who do not have access to it, despite it taking up a larger role in society as time passes. This is what created the digital divide, technology keeps evolving and the technological skills of those who have access to it evolve alongside it, all the while those who do not have it are left behind, unable to take advantage of the world of resources uncovered by technology. This is especially evident in schools, now that more and more of the learning process in schools involves technology, a transformation that was greatly accelerated after the Pandemic hit and school started taking place remotely. Even if there are school computers and other forms of technology on campus for students to use, the digital divide can still have its effects because it can be outdated, not implemented correctly, or sometimes just not available to students for long enough in order for them to gain an ample understanding of how it works. As a teacher, the digital divide is something you want to tackle carefully, in order to ensure there are opportunities for all students, regardless of technological access, to successfully complete the assignments or learn the material. The video that was in our EME course module showed a really great way to do this, where Mrs. Sophina Webb talks about how she includes technology into her class but also gives students time after school to go to her classroom and use a school laptop or her phone in order to complete assignments. Another important thing about this is to not let low socio-economic status or limited access to technology impact the expectations that a teacher may have for a student. If a student does not understand the technology it does not mean they should be held to a lower standard. This is something that Mrs. Sophina Webb sort of brings up in the video with implementing technology in ways that are challenging, she explains that some of the students might have a hard time making videos with Flipgrid and wording their thoughts, but she ensures that all students have an opportunity to complete the tasks regardless of how challenging it may be. 

Since remote learning became the norm, my classes have used Flipgrid a lot. Flipgrid is an online tool where everyone in a class can make short videos where they can answer a prompt, classmates can also respond to each other's videos. After using it so much, I was able to grow fond of the academic software and appreciate how making short videos helps improve the skill of articulating material nicely and concisely. Because of this, I would probably introduce it into my future classroom, especially since it can also be accessed on the computer and through a mobile device, so it isn't as limited. Another academic software I would use is Khan Academy. Khan academy is a free online learning resource categorized by course, and it has activities and video lessons for all students. The website also has a really nice interface and is organized well, with a point system and badges students can earn as they complete activities and learn skills. Not only would I use it to aid in teaching my lessons and for class activities, but the biggest reason for implementing it would also be for students to become familiar with the resource itself to use beyond the classroom. Khan Academy has lessons and activities for any course one can imagine, including art and programming, so if students become aware of Khan Academy and familiarize themselves with navigating it in my class, they see that it's a resource that can help them with other things too. On top of that, Khan Academy can synchronize with your College Board account to give you personalized SAT practice and lessons for free, so this can be great for students who may not have access to SAT tutoring.