My Technological Journey : Surviving and Coping in the "Tech Age"
I grew up as technology was emerging. I remember the first day we
had a personal computer. My dad worked for Smith-Corona in the
research division. He brought home a TRS-80. I can remember
playing a game where I had to shoot a ship from the sky as it moved
across the top of the screen. There were no graphics. The
ships were composed of letters and symbols, like this- XXX>. I
was 10, and it was cool. Today my son plays games with 3-D images.
I can't interest him in a game of Space Invaders.
With all technology, there is a learning curve. The first time I
had to program a digital phone, use a digital camera, start up an email
account, load a new printer, program the VCR. I dread taking out
the manual, turning to page one and getting everything set up.
It's draining and frustrating at times. However, the more I
use technology, the easier it becomes to adapt to what is new.
Especially, as things become more user-friendly.
I was excited to take the class because it would force me to learn some
things about the computer. Up until now, I learned what I had to,
when I had to. I'm busy..... The first project seems so
long ago and so hard. It was the first time I had used NVu and I
didn't write the steps down. I learn best by reading and
following the steps. I like to walk it through, but I like to do
it with the written steps. It took a few weeks and a few projects
before I was able to move through the steps of creating and publishing.
My first frustration was the website project. I worked with
another person who was quicker than me with the technology. Our
time was a little constrained, so I didn't get it onto my computer and
published right away. When I tried to publish it, I had problems.
After meeting with the teacher, I realized I had to publish the
pictures separately from the page. I didn't know that. But
once I learned it, I never forgot it (at least not yet).
As a teacher, I hope to incorporate technology in the classroom as a
means of creativity for the students, as a learning tool, and as
alternative assessments for those who don't do well with paper and
pencil. I would use small groups if it was necessary to help a
student who wasn't able to work it out on their own. The problem
that can develop is that the student who knows what they are doing,
does it; and the student who doesn't know, doesn't learn. Small
groups would work if students were grouped according to what they know,
that way they all have to learn the same things. I have learned a
lot from this class and have developed more confidence with technology.
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