Blog Post #4

     On the CPALMS website, one of the standards for computer science that is to come into effect in the next school year for Grade 1 is to discuss how the use of digital devices can affect your health (Standard 2 SC.1.HS.2). This is basically having discussions of the negative impacts of the overuse of technology, such as detriments to sleep, mental health, and social life. Along with that it's important to also talk about how to avoid overuse or misuse and how to use technology in a way that is balanced with the other aspects of your life. I do feel like this is a standard I can implement in my future classroom because my age group grew up being one of the first generations to experience this effect firsthand. I definitely have experience with it myself, and because of the rapid rise of this phenomenon, there have been so many studies conducted that I can rely on to help me teach this practice accurately and effectively. 

      I think CPALMS resources can be used in the classroom in a variety of ways, but specifically looking at lesson plans for younger grades, it can be used as a resource to find age appropriate ways to teach and introduce the standards set. A lot of the resources on this website have an element of entertainment or incorporate something that the students are very likely to be excited about (ice cream or racecars for example). This is so helpful to find ideas on lessons that students will be engaged in and have fun learning with while still including all of the necessary material. Once you get to know your group of students better, you can find specific resources that work with something you know they'll enjoy. 

    I think it's so important to be proficient in a lot of internet skills as a teacher because education and technology are so blended in today's world. Researching is specifically so important because it's such a baseline skill that can be used for a large variety of things. Knowing how to research means being able to find the resources, support, and information you need to teach at your best. I definitely use google most often, and don't see that changing but knowing how to work advanced search can cut down on time spent scrolling for the specific piece of information you need. I'd also be more open to using generative AI like ChatGPT now, which isn't a resource I was really using much before. 

    AI in the classroom is such a difficult topic to handle because there are very extreme pros as well as cons. For the grades I'm looking to teach (1st - 3rd), I think it can be more useful than harmful in my student's education. A lot of students don't have as much access to AI that young, and if they do, they don't have a ton of knowledge about how to use it. I think I could implement it myself in the classroom in the form of technological games, or even using chapgpt to come up with practice questions, or writing prompts if I need to. As far as the students, I don't think I would want to give them access or knowledge of how to use generative AI, but I would absolutely be open to using AI for extra practice at home.