This week, we had a guest speaker, Jesse Miller, come speak to our class. I learned a lot about using technology as a teacher and about being safe when using it. He talked about keeping our digital footprints school appropriate, and talked about presenting ourselves in a professional way, because as teachers, parents, students, and employers will look us up and will be able to find out a lot of information, good and bad. I have grown up with my parents teaching me about how important it is to be safe online and with technology. I have always been told that what you put online will be there forever, and anyone can find it. This is part of the reason that I am so cautious online. I keep my social media private, and only connect with people I know, because I want to be as safe as I can.

Social media can be beneficial for teachers, depending on how it is used. Personally, at this point, I do not want my students to use much technology when they are learning at school. I do not want my students to have phones or iPads in class (unless it is for a child with a learning challenge who needs it to learn). I think that it is okay for the teachers to use some technology and social media to help their practice. For example, using the computer to project things for the students is all right. Also, using social media can be a great way for teachers to connect with each other, and share experiences and lesson ideas. I think it would be fun and a good way to include parents, by posting pictures of work or activities done in class. This would allow them to see what their kids are doing. I would also not post any pictures of my students, unless I was 100% sure that I had full, proper consent, but then I still may not just to be safe and respect the child’s privacy.

I really enjoyed this week’s class. Jesse provided a lot of useful, important, and interesting information about technology and about teachers using it. I will definitely keep this information in mind when I become a teacher.

Photo by Thomas Kolnowski on Unsplash