As the years go on, technology
plays an increasingly important role in the lives of children and adults. Even
in Education, technology is everywhere and it is changing the way students are taught.
For me, personally, technology has been present in my life from a very young
age. As a young child I played educational computer games with my dad. These
games helped me learn to read, write, count and recognize colors. As I grew up,
I was able to watch technology change and become an even bigger part of my
life. Technology is everywhere and has shaped me into the person I am today.
When
I was a child I was unaware of the term “technology”. I was unsure of what it
was or how much of an influence it could have on me. I simply knew that if I
put a CD into the computer there would be pictures and videos I could watch and
play with. Now as I am older I can reflect on how much technology I have
encountered in my life time and the helpful effects it had. Computer games,
television, and talking on the phone are all parts of technology most people my
age used as children. Talking on the phone started to enhance communication
skills while computer games and TV shows kept us entertained and engaged. I
still remember as a toddler counting with the characters on Sesame Street and
learning to sound out words with the computer. Even some of the books I read
had an interactive CD or a button in the book I could press that would play a
sound recording. I feel that this is helpful to a child. Not only are they
learning from their parents, they are having these skills reinforced in forms
of entertainment making learning fun.
Throughout
my grammar school years technology changed as I grew older. I remember our
school’s computer lab receiving flat screen monitors which replaced bulky and
cumbersome ones. Also from the 3rd grade on we were taught to type
and had weekly typing tests. This would help me greatly as I had to type up
reports and papers for my teachers. Also, I remember more and more of my
classmates and friends receiving cell phones. When I was in Middle School I
remember feeling left out because my parents refused to let me have one until I
absolutely needed it. I was finally allowed to have one in 8th grade
but was very envious of my friends until then.
In
High School I feel was the time in my life where I increasingly began to rely
on technology. Every student in my high school was required to purchase and
carry around a laptop. Every class we were encouraged to take notes on word and
use the internet to supplement our learning. Our assignments were posted on
edline which is similar to Moodle and we were even given progress reports via
email. It was in high school (but not during class) I started to watch you tube
and use face book. Texting friends became a favorite pastime and calling people
on the phone slowly became a thing of the past. I think the fact that everyone
is texting now is hurting our generation’s social skills. Also the texting
lingo is severely crippling writing skills. Some teenagers and students today
feel it is appropriate to add abbreviations like “btw” for by the way, or
shortening words like “U” for you and “R” for are. Also in high school I became
dependent on a calculator for solving math. I was never very good in math and
the calculator both helped me and hurt me. It helped by allowing me to solve
problems accurately on a steady basis but it hurt because I would often rely on
it for simple math instead of using memorization skills.
Even
though I never personally had a problem with cyber bullying, it is a growing
issue today that all current and future teachers should be aware of. The
internet gives a bully a sense of detachment. It is easy for someone to say
mean things about another classmate from behind a computer screen where no one
can see them. Cyber bullying in its extreme has had such an effect on some
children that they commit suicide and engage in other negative behavior. This is something that should be addressed by
everyone in the community.
In
college technology is an even bigger part of the learning process. I use the
library computers to find and check out books for research and articles can be
shared between colleges almost instantly because of the computer. Also I use
Moodle to submit homework for classes and wwam to register for classes each
semester. In class teachers use projectors and computers to show us videos and
pictures about the topics we are learning about and some classes even use the
smart board. In my freshman year at Wagner, I applied for a job at the
Information Technology Help Desk on campus. I was hired and have been learning
on the job ever since. I am not a computer wizard, but I do know basic trouble
shooting and I can run virus scans, and install wireless on laptops. I feel it
is a great job to have and I learn something new almost every day I am there.
As
I got older, technology began playing a bigger role in my life. In the future I
can see myself still using technology from the simple every day quick text
message to helping my students learn in the class room. I am excited to learn
all about how I can use the technology available to teach in the classroom and
make my learning experience fun and exciting. I would like to help solve the
problems associated with cyber bullying and even stop it all together. I am hopeful
that one day this problem plaguing schools and students will be resolved and
technology will only be used for positive learning experiences.
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