Technology Autobiography (Revised)

Oh technology, you fickle beast. I have issues with technology, to say the least. I would not exactly call my self technology-savvy--quite the opposite really. There was not a computer in our house until the end of my seventh grade year. Before that time my experience with technology consisted of going to computer class in school once a week to play games, learn how to construct and work with spreadsheets (which I have yet to grasp), or learning to type. The computer games were mostly educational, such as Speedway Math. Computers at the time still seemed to be a new-fangled oddity and I was under the impression that they should be treated with maximum reverence, touched or used only under strict adult supervision. Computers were not toys. At the time, the computers in my school were still huge, boxy contraptions, an olive greenish yellow mass of plastic whose welcome screen was nothing but a blinking green cursor, awaiting my commands while mocking my inexperience as its intermittent blinks reminded me of a tapping foot. The floppy disks were large and literally floppy and only the fanciest computers had a mouse.I really had no use for computers until seventh grade as my teachers did not require typed compositions before then. In the rare event that I did have to have something typed, I used a typewriter. It seems quite archaic now, having to constantly worry about using too much correction tape instead of just hitting backspace with no repercussions.

After my parents bought a computer for home use, I began to grow in "computer competence." I discovered the Internet, another new wonder, and only cautiously explored at first. It was in eighth grade that we began using the computers for research and typing with a purpose rather than practicing "asdf jkl;" monotonously. Our weekly computer class changed in its scope with the introduction of a new technology teacher, and I learned how to search the Internet effectively, format documents, and type. With high school came more need for typing ability and computer skills which developed through a keyboarding class in tenth grade. I used the Internet on almost a daily basis for research and enjoyment. It seemed as if there was a technology explosion that started during high school in which new gadgets were being introduced every month, and more and more projects required the use of technology. I never really used PowerPoint or any program other than Microsoft Word, Works or Excel with any degree of regularity.

Now, technology is definitely a larger part of my life. The education school's use of LiveText has forced me to lend some small bit of trust to the electronic expanse of the Internet to hold my work and not "recycle" it at a whim. I'm not fully comfortable with not submitting hard copies of my work so there are always backup copies within quick reach. I use the Internet for staying in touch with friends, satisfying my addiction to music (special thanks to YouTube and various music blogs), writing a personal blog, research, and keeping up with my interests or hobbies. My iPod is a frequent companion, and after my initial doubts about the possibility of such a thing, it is almost filled to capacity. I also use a digital camera, reveling in the ease of its use and the ability to delete pictures of poor quality.

In my observations of a middle school classroom this past semester, I was amazed at all of the things that the students could do with ease on the computers. They were effortlessly constructing elaborate PowerPoint presentations, complete with animation, researching a geographical region, and importing pictures to their presentations from the Internet. The students' computer literacy was beyond my expectations. I guess I should not have been so surprised given the increased importance that has been given to technology with core content standards and such.

There is a definite role for computers and technology in all classrooms. Computers and the Internet allow for instant communication world-wide and add to the capability for collaboration with others on a single topic, idea or project. They offer immediate access to a vast store of knowledge, resources, and even experiences. Students can interact with other students across the nation and across the globe which can be an indispensable learning opportunity. Teachers can use technology to communicate with parents, colleagues and experts in order to grow personally as well as professionally and to give their students quality learning experiences. Technology offers various opportunities through programs such as PowerPoint and text-to-speech programs, as well as language learning software that enables teachers to implement lessons which reach all students, even those with exceptionalities. New technology programs and tools that I have learned about in the course of the last two weeks will definitely play a role in my future classroom. I love the idea of having a class blog and possibly individual blogs for each student. The opportunity for communication, individualization and assignment completion with blogs is astounding. In addition, there are so many projects and assessments that could be completed using Flickr, websites such as Delicious and programs like MovieMaker. It seems as if technology is growing in its uses with education in mind. These new tools and programs are not so unapproachable as they once seemed and I am so excited to begin incorporating technology into my lesson plans. Technology will add interest, connections and enrichment for my students as they learn and grow as "Digital Natives" (Richardson 6). The constant advances in the world of technology offer an almost limitless number of possibilities for its use in classrooms in the present and future.