#4 - Digital Divide, Active Learning Software, and Web Evaluations

I am not entirely sure what the question means by "early course experiences."  I'm assuming that it means my use through the class since that is what we have been using for experience.  If this is the case then I would say that I have been interacting with classmates and Re-tweeting a lot of information about technology and interesting topics that arise.  If this question is referring to my use prior to the class then my response differs.  My personal twitter has been used to interact with peers on a more personal basis and to stay in the loop about upcoming events inside of school and outside of school.  These are important in the future as well.  Twitter can be used to inform and interact with students and colleagues in reference to upcoming school events, politics, technology advancement, and basically anything.  It is a fantastic source of communication.

The digital divide, according to the podcast, is used to describe "the gap of people who do and do not have access to technology."  Not everyone has access to a computer or the internet.  The students that do have access to computers and internet are believed to have a greater chance for educational achievement than those who do not.  This is because the students with computers have access to academic software.  According to Teaching and Learning with Technology, a few types of academic software are desktop publishing, graphics, reference, tutorials, drill-and-practice, educational games, simulations, authoring systems, special needs, and integrated learning systems.  The active learning software helps the teachers teach and the students learn effectively.

It is important to check the author's credentials (contactability), whether is is neutral or bias, content (accurate, current, appropriate for audience), design (pleasing to the eye and clear), and technical elements (level of difficulty to navigate and speed of loading) when evaluating a website.  It is also important to check the stability, URLs, and advertising when using a website for teaching.  Personally, I look at the domain of a website, the year it was publlished, the author, and the content when evaluating how good a website it.  I also try to find a website that has condensed and organized information so I'm not spending hours reading it.  Pictures, diagrams and other visuals are also very attractive during an evaluation.  Web evaluations are important so that you can be sure that you are receiving accurate, clear, and credible information for the right audience and purpose.