The introduction of
technology in my life had a slow start when I first came to the country.
However, with this recent wave of new technology popping up here and there—iPhone/iPad,
e-reader, laptop, game consul, how can I not get in on it? We are the
generation that relies most on technology, it has become a way of life and the
way of the future—it is a necessity in schools and in the workforce as
everything is now computerized. Regardless of what initiative one has with this
technology, it serves as an opportunity for self-improvement by being a way to
express thoughts quicker and more efficiently, exploration of a new and
developing world, and improvement of self-image.
The internet is the best form of communication even if it is not
used in direct contact with another physical being. It is a transfer of
knowledge—a place to learn and develop one’s self. Development starts with a
desire and curiosity to know. The internet is an endless pool of thoughts and
knowledge where one is able to explore and receive a response almost instantly.
My top three communication technologies are the iPhone, Youtube,
and, Social Networks. Forget about texting, the iPhone puts the world at your
fingertips. Everything is easily accessible through a few touches of the
screen. It has become essential in my life where I use it for alarms, music,
research, games, blogging—just about anything you can think of. Youtube allows
users from almost anywhere in the planet to upload videos for the world to see.
It provides a chance to learn and explore other countries and cultures without
stepping outside. It is a medium for education as a student can easily search
instructional videos and lectures. In my classroom, I would recommend students
to seek the help of YouTube as a source of supplemental explanations for even
I, as a student, am currently using it to assist my understanding of math
problems. I don’t socialize much on the internet but Social Networks (like
Facebook and MySpace) are a good place to meet with other people. I remember
when I was Olivia’s age, I also had a Myspace. I customized my page every few
weeks, I would learn how to search for images I wanted, and tweak codes to get
specific font colors. These minor things added up when I was put into a
computer science classroom and was able to recognize symbols of basic coding
and formats.
All these benefits sound amazing and will help a student
explore and work on his creativity. However, these sources produce potential
dangers and massive sources of distraction. Going back to the video with
Olivia, she spends about five hours a day online customizing her Myspace
account or chatting with friends. How is there time to do homework or
recreational activities? It is fun to be creative customizing MySpace pages,
but can they be as creative with writing assignments? Children no longer know
how to put their creativity on paper because it is made easy to take an idea
off another website. She, along with some of the other students from High Tech
High said texting was very important to them and they could not put the phone
down.
Because of texting,
students do not need to physically speak to each other and as Olivia’s Big
Sister says, “I have learned to shorten about every word in the English
language to three letters and/or numbers.” This way of writing is sticking with
students who can longer produce complete sentences or fully spell a word.
Technology is the way of the future so taking one step forward,
we must find a way to include more educational material into the world of
discovery our students revolve around.
