My laptop, I-Phone, and I-Pad are the three most current influential technologies in my life. Years ago, I saw the blackberry as the source of all technological development. That changed when apple’s I-Phone became more affordable to me and totally revolutionized the way I communicate and utilize technology. This multipurpose mechanism enables me to check the internet, baseball scores, play games, text, tweet, Facebook, and call anybody I want in a matter of moments. It contains all my appointments and manages my time via a schedule. Without my iPhone I doubt I would be able to function. As mentioned in the student video, it has become a part of my daily life. I am now able to access information incredible easy and with great speed. The numerous Applications on my I-phone also enable me to access various resources. In the car, my I-Phone is utilized for playing music. One student in the student videos described the amount of music played in his daily life and I can honestly say I listen to as much music as him. For prayer, I access my I-Phone’s “laudate” app to find the Catholic Church’s daily readings, prayer services, saints, bible and catechism. When I am bored, my iPhone acts a source of entertainment for me. In my opinion, the iPhones greatest feature is its access to information. Information is an essential survival tool in today’s society. We are faced with so much information that our brains cannot easily store it all. The I-Phone however is as much as burden then it is a resource. I waste so much time on the phone doing nonsensical things. Whether its playing games or researching random stuff, I usually waste three hours a day on it.
My laptop also is an essential device for me. As a student I couldn’t imagine succeeding in college without one. My laptop acts as my notebook, and serves me on many projects. I access word, PowerPoint, excel, and publisher on a fairly weekly basis. As a history major, I have many assignments that involve extensive time researching in order to write a paper. To me this is both convenient and practical. I can access so much information in a matter of seconds while taking notes on the particular slide. My laptop also allows me to construct different projects in a professional manner. It enables me to check so many websites for baseball, football, MMA and Amateur Wrestling updates. The laptop, like the I-Phones most essential feature in my opinion, is its user friendly’s acquisition of information. I can scroll through websites at lightning speed and learn about new things in a matter of moments. Sadly, I waste so much valuable time on the laptop because it’s addicting. I am almost completely dependent on its functions and it intrigues me. Whether I am checking twitter or Facebook my time throughout the day gets lost.
My I-Pad is also a very influential technology in my daily activities. I carry my I-Pad around with me everywhere I go. It contains various Word files, saved bookmarks, and music. I utilize my I-Pad in Youth group when I show videos or find web sites that have a valuable Christian message to them. The kids in the youth group like when I utilize technology because they can relate to it. This is my newest technology and I am still learning its capabilities. Like the laptop and I-Phone, the I pad has become another distraction in my life.
I can relate to the students so much in the videos. We both pour through Facebook and twitter endlessly which causes us to feel so disconnected in an age of globalization. It’s an addiction that we face on a daily basis. We want to know what our friends are doing and we want to remain up to date on the latest gossip. The music phenomena are also one that I can relate to. I feel like I always need music to get through my day. It keeps me entertained and motivated to get done even the simplest tasks. With iPhones becoming so readily available, the phone enables us to access i-tunes fairly easily and listen to music. In the classroom it will be essential to incorporate music in lessons because it will get students attention. The one difference that I can find between the students and I is the professional usage of the technologies. I believe I use the technology more to perform professionally then they do.
I agree that technology can sometimes be an addiction. And a little part of me dies every time I see someone texting through an entire class, especially when the class becomes intriguing in terms of discussion. Everyone's getting into it, contributing their own opinions and commenting on other people's ideas, and the person's just sitting there, texting. Not even paying attention. Even if the class isn't part of your major, even if it's GNED you're being forced to take, you're paying for the semester, or your parents are. The least you can do is make an effort to listen. But I know that not everyone is like that. I've read on other people's posts that people use their laptops and iPads as a means to take notes during class. So in a way, technology can be both good and bad in certain cases. It really depends on the circumstances, if a teacher is getting to be boring, then of course the student is going to feel more inclined to drift off to Youtube or Facebook. Or if someone makes an interesting point, it'd be interesting if someone looks up a certain statement someone says. Either way, technology is a reality now. And I agree with your stance that ignoring it is foolish, especially if the teacher is in a class full of students who depend on it.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I definitely agree with you that music is essential in the classroom. It will absolutely get students' attention and hopefully keep them engaged! Perhaps opening the class with playing a song related to the lesson plan may help students get focused. Wanting to be a music teacher, I will most certainly be incorporating lots of music into all of my lesson plans. With the constant release of new songs and albums, it is important for us as teachers to know what the most popular songs out there are. It is our duty to remain involved with current events and what our students are listening to. iTunes and YouTube help exceedingly with this. With the technological advancements that are ever improving, teachers will have a wider variety of options available for use in the classroom!
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