This week we talked about online citizenship. To be very honest, Jesse Miller pleasantly surprised me with his presentation on this topic. My stance on technology and social media has always been wary… I worry about the negative consequences of it. When I talk to my partner about it I always say I want to limit our child’s screen time and be conscious about it as a family (when we have one- we don’t have children yet). However, I feel like Jesse expanded my thinking and challenged some of my preconceived ideas. For one, we cant fight technological progressions… it is here and it is happening. So to deny that would be counter productive. I still hold the belief that too much of anything is not good for a person and that the internet and its vastness is not something a child is developmentally prepared to handle with no guidance. Nevertheless, I appreciated his pragmatic stance on the topic.

As a future educator, I know that this will play a massive role in my work. My classes will be filled with children of various backgrounds, with various access and restrictions on their technology use. Therefore, I must be aware of what is happening in this sphere and help nurture its positive use and help my students navigate it. I want them to be able to handle these tools appropriately and effectively as citizens. Moreover, I found it extremely helpful to learn about the laws and expectations around technology as a teacher. There is a lot to keep in mind and also to to understand in order to teach it to my students. I hope to walk into this profession as equipped as I can be and to completely reject technology and social media would not serve me nor my students. Rather, I need to be aware of its strengths and limitations and how to navigate it all as a professional.