Technology has greatly impacted the way I learn. I can not even imagine doing a research paper or any kind of project without the internet. Going to the library and searching through books is too time consuming when I can simply search key words on google and find whatever I am looking for. Computers and laptops allow me to get my work done more efficiently than by hand and be more creative with my assignments. In addition, whenever I am stuck on a problem, I can always search for it online and usually find the solution.
My phone is also essential to acquiring new information. I constantly get updates from facebook to keep up with my friends. My emails are sent straight to my phone so when a teacher sends me a message I can be notified right away. Furthermore, I have news and weather apps to know what is going on. The internet on my phone allows me to stay updated at all times and even work on my school assignments wherever I may be. The iphone is truly the most useful object I have ever purchased.
The television is also a great resource of new information. For example, the discovery channel, food network, news channels, just to name a few, provide a great deal of information. Just by watching these channels I can learn how to cook or find out what is going on around me. If I would wait to read the newspaper, I feel like I would constantly be one step behind everybody else.
In today’s society people depend on technology. Even though some may not own their own computer or smartphone, it does not mean they do not know how to use it. As we have seen in “Olivia’s Story,” she is very computer savvy even though she does not own one. She uses it in her building or at the apple store and can be very resourceful and creative with her myspace page. She even understands coding that is required to change layouts on her page or pictures. Therefore, a teacher can never assume a student does not know how to use a computer just because they do not own one. Olivia might be even better at working with computers than some of the other students in her class. It is important for the teacher to incorporate technology in the classroom because it is an important part of students’ everyday lives and can make the information more relatable.
In the second video, “Learning to Change, Changing to Learn,” the young people bring up some important points. For example, on the computer you can make anything ordinary become extraordinary and if you make a mistake you can always delete it and start over. The internet gives you access to everything, so then you can decide what to use or what not to use. Reading and writing has also taken over technology, especially with products such as kindle or the iPad. These young people can make websites, take pictures on their phones to use for projects, research on the internet, and be creative with their work.
As a teacher, I need to be aware of how technology is influencing my students and how I can use it in the classroom. The smartboard is a great tool for learning if I would be lucky to have one in my classroom. Especially in a math class, it can be much easier for students to visualize the concepts or play games that will enhance their knowledge. Calculators are also a necessity when dealing with problems that will take too much class time. Since many students now have phones with a camera, I could assign a project to go out and take pictures of math in the real world. Finally the computer is a great tool to enhance students’ knowledge with math websites or for projects. Not all may own a computer but most students have access to one and it is hard to find someone that is not computer literate in today’s schools.
