​What did you find most challenging about creating and maintaining a website?
 
Creating a website was generally easy. The biggest challenge was to know what platform, for example, which site was better and easy to use and add pictures, text, music, etc. after looking and looking I finally choose weebly.com. I considered that it is less difficult to do edits. Before I had an initial idea on how I should build my website. I had some challenges adding links to the internet, editing tabs, and my resume.
 
What benefits do you see in using an educator website in the classroom?
 
The benefits in using an educator website are that we can share important information to the world and to our students. Likewise, it is so good that as an educator you have the choice to upgrade it and, have more options for editing things and to create nice designs.
 
Should educators use websites or utilize social media to communicate online with students (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)?
 
Educators should use the website and other social media to communicate online with the students and, stakeholders, However, the educator should be very responsible and use caution. In the ProEthica programs for educators module 6, The Professional Educator and Technology, Digital, and Social Media help the educator be aware of possible situation scenarios that can be dangerous using technology, Digital, and social media. For example, teachers should never have conversations with students during the whole night in online chatting and all the conversations should always be about school matters, such an assignment or project. We also learn in ProEthica that we can help students without breaking any policy. It doesn’t mean that the educator is not using the Dispositional framework when deciding to fallow the Regulatory framework.
 
Look at a church's website and answer the same questions as above. Has the Church fallen behind in reaching the world digitally?
Looking in the lds.org website, I think they are into technology and using all kind of tools to reach their members. They are working hard to show to the world their mission, that is to bring people to Christ. I have noticed too, that they are reaching the church’s youth with lots of different websites and programs using tools.
 
References
 
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (2019). Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng
 
ProEthic (2019). Retrieved from https://www.ets.org/proethica
 
Square Inc (2019). eCommerce by Square Retrieve from https://www.weebly.com
 

​How should teachers leverage technology to enhance student learning, and how does that use align with what we know about how humans learn?
             Living in the world of new technology in constant change, it is very important that teachers and all professionals in the educational area be aware of how technology empowers their teaching style and enhances student learning. The bigger challenge is to identify the better use of it inside and outside of the classroom.
When the technology-based tools available now are used in a positive way it has a tremendous impact on the student’s outcome. According to McKnight, O'Malley, Ruzic,  Horsley, J. Franey and Katherine Bassett (2016) Technology improves access, enhances communications and feedback, helps teachers to work in a better time schedule, technology extends purpose, and audience for student work.
             McKnight et al ( 2016) in their investigation the authors identify some instructional strategies and tactics using technology that benefits the student's improvement in the learning process.
First, there are evidences that the use of technology improved access for teachers and students. McKnight et al ( 2016)  in their article:  Teaching in a Digital Age: How Educators Use Technology to Improve Student Learning wrote: “Results suggest that technology improved access for teachers as well as for students, to more up-to-date learning resources and to materials at anytime and anywhere. Technology also improved access for students with special circumstances and needs”.
Second, Technology Enhanced Communication and Feedback between teachers, students, and stakeholders. McKnight et al ( 2016) wrote “The results were efficient feedback and adjustment of teaching, and anytime, anywhere communication. Teachers used e-mail, texting, online forums, Web sites, and virtual classrooms to communicate”. Communication is crucial in the educational systems, Hoyle, English, and Steffy (1998) years ago spoke that for school leaders communication is discovered as one of the nine most important skills to master. Sheninger (2014) said “Social Media, provide many free tools that leaders can incorporate into their communication plan”. (p.78)
Third, is about restructuring teachers time, McKnight et al ( 2016) noted that “Teachers at the flipped learning site, for example, were observed spending more time working side-by-side with students than in front of the class lecturing…helping students gather information on their own.” They also noted that the different model required “greater skills in guiding and questioning”. Students receiving more side-by-side time should be better because they will learn how to think from their instructors, learning to question and be guided.  McKnight et al ( 2016) Reported information from a classroom in Main that “You don’t have to spend all the time grading and handing [assignments] back … that’s the time that they can be doing more, the meat of the stuff”.  By leveraging technology to help to grade and giving faster feedback they got some time back that could be used to learn the next portion faster.
Fourth, McKnight et al ( 2016) report:
Through blogging and posting work online, students shared their work with classmates, parents, and students from other schools. One teacher noted that because students knew their work would be seen by strangers, “they wanted to look like they were prepared; they wanted to look like they knew what they were talking about; and they also cared about the outcome.”
Having stakes in the outcome can change perspective and effort. In this case, it was achieved by increasing the audience size to include professionals, peers, teachers, and parents being able to look up the blogs and other posts.
Fifth, McKnight et al ( 2016) while discussing a couple of classrooms in Idaho that there was a change in roles:
They described their traditional role as, “being the star of the show … the one up in the front giving all the information,” and as simply “standing there, just spoon-feeding [the students].” Their new focus for teaching and learning was depth over breadth, and technology provided the resources needed to facilitate such an approach. … students were developing their inquiry skills by learning how to research answers to their questions.
            Students developing skills is more important than teachers looking like the star and center of attention.
Does the Church need to evolve to meet the needs of a digital age?
            In the case of Church, well more specifically The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus followed the plan of his Father, Notably, he sends messengers to  Peter to have him bring the Gospel of salvation to the Gentiles officially for the first time starting with Cornelius and his household (Acts 10, King James Version).  This moment essentially sends the gospel to the whole world, whoever will come, may.  Also, Jesus Christ instructed his disciples to “Let your light so shine before men” (Matthew 5:16, King James Version).  Keeping this in mind Technology is like a hilltop where light could shine from and should be organized to serve the Kingdom of Heaven and bring glory to the Father.
 
References
Katherine McKnight, Kimberly O'Malley, Roxanne Ruzic, Maria Kelly Horsley, John J. Franey & Katherine Bassett (2016) Teaching in a Digital Age: How Educators Use Technology to Improve Student Learning, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 48:3, 194-211, DOI: 10.1080/15391523.2016.1175856
Hoyle, J.R., English, F.W.,& Steffy. , E. (1998). Skills for successful 21st century school leaders: Standards for peak performers. Arlington, VA: America Association of School Administrators.
Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital Leadership; Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.
 

                Social media had been avoided by educators for ethics reasons and there are still some professional guidelines and rules to guide usage including Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Ian Jukes argues that the old system of education is not preparing students for the future and that educators need to adapt the classroom to help prepare digital natives for what is coming.
         Recently classes have been experimenting with Twitter and platforms like YouTube to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. Sheninger shares about New Milford Highschool how social media can affect their lives:
I point out to students the fact that once they post something online (i.e., comments, pictures, videos, etc.), that information can be accessed, adapted, archived, and shared by anyone who has access to their accounts….we ask students to Google themselves and share with us any content they discovered during their search that they were not aware of. It is at this point that reality sets in. (p. 158)
               Social media platforms have been collecting data from educators and students alike who use their platforms and on the dark side have exposed them to inappropriate video content.
Social media platforms have been used to polarize people to extreme political and social views by external powers. Advaita Kala wrote about how people tend to make wrong choices and follow the group referencing work done by Solomon Asch in the 1950s, and how fake news has grown prevalent in social media and is passed around by social influencers.
           Social media is provided “free” through the cost of advertising to students and educators.  It was through these advertising platforms that some people were targeted for political-social polarization. 
             To conclude, social media is getting safer and the older or more limited platforms are getting safer. However, every couple of year new platforms come out and need to go through maturation.  Currently, safer platforms should be chosen carefully for educational use.
 
References

Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). (2019). Retrieved from https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act

Juke, I. (2019). Teaching the Digital Generation: Powerful Teaching Strategies for 21st Century Learners Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMznVTGd5yY

Kala, A. (2018). Is social media polarizing society? Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/is-social-media-polarising-society/article25682726.ece

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital Leadership; Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

 ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qGf2wuFZ6s

Here is my presentation enjoy!

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDFIJltLwJQ&feature=youtu.be

What are some of the barriers that prevent true integration of technology tools into the learning process?
   As an educator and student of technology, I have seen that there are different barriers that prevent true integration of technology tools into the learning process. I would like to discuss some of them.
   First, the lower social economic district. Without resources and a good budget, it is almost impossible to prepare teachers to learn about new technology tools and increase the use of technology in the classroom. So, in this lower social economic district, there is a lack of knowledge from the teachers and lack of technology from the resources available.
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   Second, teachers time to plan and learn new technology tools. Teachers in many schools are busy teaching, preparing lessons, and resting for the rest of the day for most days, so they do not have much time available.
 
   Third, the current way of teaching.  It takes time for people to understand the advantages of new useful technology especially when they are comfortable with the traditional pedagogy.  Teachers are likely to resist change because it is uncomfortable.  So, it may delay some beneficial changes from happening soon. However it’s important for teachers to understand that the technology will continue to grow and modify the teaching and learning process, it is crucial that teachers use these new approaches technology to help and teach students to use technology to generate new ideas, to be creative. Hamilton (2015) said “Students should be able to use their knowledge of technology to generate new ideas, products, and processes with technology” (Hamilton. 2019 p. 23).
What will K-12 schools look like in 5 - 10 years?
   In the next 5 to 10 years K-12 schools will be using computers more and more and education will be more automated but probably only in areas that can afford it.  Technology will be spreading out from larger markets to smaller ones.  Teachers will be focusing more on helping one on one with students as they explore the standard curriculum and some extracurricular ones.
There is need to change the way we are teaching because the students today are living in a different and virtual environment and the technology can help improve the ways to teach. Mark Prensky said "Our students have changed radically. Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach" (Mark Prensky, 2001, p.1).​
How will adult learners "attend class" for their academic progress?
   Adults are already taking advantage of online schools and other free resources online to review or increase their education in specific areas of focus.  Most likely some of the free courses will be graded to credit and give authority to their completion.  Possibly a platform like LinkedIn will maintain a public record of their learning for the entirety of their lives and careers.
 
References
Hamilton, B. (2015). Integrating technology in the classroom. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
Prensky, M. ( 2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5).​