Technology Autobiography

I definitely remember doing this same assignment when I took EDLF 345 and will definitely have to dig it up and try to compare it to what I have to say now. Currently, I am enrolled in this class because while I consider myself a pretty adept and patient technology user, and knowing that I probably spend a little bit too much time with my laptop, I failed to get the technology-rich experience during my student teaching.

All negativity aside, to be honest my CI was by far a master, experienced teacher, but as an older teacher she considered technology in a much simpler way than I did - using a boom box to play songs for our kindergarteners, and her proudest achievement was her expansive collection of books on CD and tape at our listening center. She certainly challenged my idea of "technology" because she kept it simple and user-friendly - which by all means it should remain, but I wasn't convinced that we couldn't have used more forms of electronic student engagement or enhanced several of our trips to the computer lab beyond the KidPix element.

I guess on a personal note, I feel like that was a large part of my technology journey to this course, and a journey I am certainly on for the rest of the semester. I feel like the classroom of the future is technology heavy and students of all shapes and sizes have better access to the mainstream curriculum and better preparedness for the real world. With school district after school district spending money getting their students each a laptop and equipping rooms with Smartboards, I feel lost. Even if my job search takes me to a more urban, less financially generous environment I'd love to be that pilot or tour guide for other teachers to look to when they need help with their ideas and lessons.

Other than the education world, I do find technology to be more of a friend than foe, and as my Mac-savvy father constantly reminds me - it's not the computer/Ipod/software/camera's fault - it's probably the person who is trying to use it. I have had rather good luck in my endeavors I just don't consider myself brave enough. I can use my computer in a student-friendly sense, listening to mp3s, participating in digital photography, turning in Word documents, and emailing around the clock like a total addict. I am also a proud member of the Mac cult. I hope to channel this comfort with technology to a real understanding that will benefit both me and my students.