Reflection on Influential Technologies

                As stated in the video by the first student, “technology is just so convenient regardless of what medium you’re using it for ... even writing, writing and reading have been taken over by technology.” In today’s world, technology is around every corner and cannot be escaped. At this point in my life, the three most influential technologies ranked from highest to lowest are cellphones, laptop, and televisions. My ranking was based on how important each technology is to me. Beginning with cellphones, I like hundreds of thousands of people have a cellphone and must have it with me at all times (I too must sadly admit my cellphone is glued to me). It may sound strange, but when I don’t have my cellphone with me, I feel disconnected from the world. Similarly to the girl from the video who states “my phone is my third hand, even if I don't bring my purse my phone is the only thing I bring.” Like many people, I use my phone for social media, but that is not the only reason. I use my cellphone to keep in contact with people be it texting, phone calls or FaceTime. With the creation of smart phones and all these savvy apps I use my phone to check emails, do online shopping, call myself an Uber, check the statues of my flights, play trivia crack and so much more because there literally is an apps for everything. All these apps are there for us to gain information we want to know instantly (CBS instant breaking news alerts, Weather channel instant weather alerts, etc.) This is why I chose cellphone as my first technology, it is an instant source of information I can get whenever I need it. I am glad I have a cellphone because I know in case of an emergency I can always get in contact with someone. This gives me a sense of security. My cellphone allows me to stay in contact with my family giving me the ability to stay very family-oriented. On the down side, my phone has become my addiction because I always must have it and this is something I would like to change. Even in the aspect of texting, I sometimes catch myself typing a text message and not even having to look at the keys because my thumbs know exactly where each letter is located in correlation to the words I want to type. Corresponding with the student in the video, I also can say, “On a scale of one to ten I am a nine point five of a texter, I do it all the time.” Similarly to the girl in the video, I agree one hundred percent when she says, “I do not like it when people use omg, lol, b2b. I hate it. My least favorite is the letter u instead of you.” Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, not make us lazy where we begin to lose basic grammar skills. My cellphone has impacted the way I learn new information because whenever I am in doubt, I “google it”. With that instant aspect of cellphones, “googling” information has honestly became a new way to gain knowledge and learn about things I am unsure of as well as learn new information all together. 

               Moving onto laptops, also like the thousands of people who have a laptop, I have one as well. As stated in the video my laptop is a necessity in life, but countering the video I can go without my laptop because I don’t need it at all times of the day. I use my laptop on a daily basis like my phone but I am not using it on an hourly basis looking for updates and that instant information like I would with my phone. I use my laptop for both educational and personal purposes (saving family pictures and holding music). Like a cellphone, my laptop is my main source of information, but it is not that instant satisfaction or gaining of information. When I am on my laptop I tend to go on and stay on for a larger period of time looking for deeper information I want to find. Being a biology major as an undergrad, I used my laptop for all my research to find articles and data to support the studies I was performing. My laptop is also the first thing I go to when I have to write an essay or type up my research information. I chose laptops second as it is very important to me in the way it helps me with much of my studies. My laptop has no negative effects on my life besides how easy it is to lose track of time when using it. Once I sit down to do some research I travel from site to site reading for hours. My laptop has impacted on my ability to learn mainly through the opportunity is provides me. With the world web being so full of information and my wanting to learn new and interesting things, my laptop is a stepping stone for my ability to learn new information. This is explained beautifully in the video, “Being able to experiment with technology is really what makes it technology … it is paving the way for us to move forward as a species and a civilization.” 

                My last choice of technology was television as it is there for me not only in a informational way but also for entertainment. At home we have four television sets two of which are in bedrooms (I chose not to have a television in my bedroom) one in the living room and one in the kitchen. I have the kitchen television on every morning playing CBS as I eat breakfast because I like to listening to the news and weather for the day. I also enjoy cooking and spend a lot of time in the kitchen where I usually have the television set on, either to the weather channel, CBS, Food Network, or a music station to keep me entertained while I cook. I chose television as my third technology as it is there to help me get my day started, stay informed about everything that is happening around me and the world, as well as a personal form of entertainment. I don’t believe television to affect me negatively simply because I choose not to watch much of the “garbage” that is now show on many channels. When anyone thinks of a negative aspect of television the main thing that comes up is how time consuming it is as well as its effects on our healthy, mainly concerning posture and eye strain. These concerns can also be applied to laptops making it invalid for a direct negative effect of televisions. Television has an impact on my learning in that by me watching informational channels I gain knowledge and creativity I didn’t have before. Television allows me to work on my culinary art skills as I watch food network. I have always had a passion for cooking and the food network always inspires me to try and make new recipes. 

Pew Survey Results: Teachers' Technology Use

             We currently live in a society where technology is becoming a major part of every individual's life, like it or not. Having read the Pew Research Center’s survey, “How Teachers Are Using Technology at Home and in Their Classrooms.” I was not surprised with what the survey indicated. A staggering 92% of AP and NWP teachers stated the internet has a major impact on their ability to access content, resources and materials for teaching. This come as no surprise as the global wed is an enormous source for information and data that everyone is free to tap into and use to their benefit. What I personally did find surprising is how teachers of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds experience the impact of technology differently. 70% of teachers who teach in high income area schools stated the schools did a “good job” providing digital tools in the classroom and only 50% of teachers in low income areas schools could say the same. I understand that not every school has the same economic standing however, I believe every student deserves a fair and equal education no matter what their socioeconomic standing. Overall in my opinion this survey was quite informative and gave me something to think about in the aspect of technology. Many older generations and even parents of immigrant children (which make up a the major diversity in the United States) see technology as a negative due to the fact they themselves have never been exposed to it. Technology is a great tool available to help everyone in so many aspects to move forward and succeed.

             Though I personally am not a teacher yet, I would “rate” myself  in with the teachers who are strong and confident with the use of technology. Being a 23 year old Masters student I am exposed to technology on a daily basis and try to keep up with all the new technologies as they arise. I use the internet for my biological research, create power points when asked to present information, and I often carry out online discussions with fellow classmates on topics of interests in class. All these aspects of technology would make up my strengths in the field of technology and computers. 

             In the aspect of accuracy I found this survey to correlate with personal education experiences when it comes to teachers age and their technology confidence. The survey indicated 64% of teachers (under 35) and 44% of teachers (over 55) describe themselves as “very confident” with using new Digital technologies. This ties back to how older generations view of technology. With technology booming in the last decade older generation teachers have had a difficult time adjusting to the new fast pasted world (this does not apply to all teachers 55 and over). I have personally experienced this as a student in the classroom simply through teachers who use power point presentation in their lecture and excel for their grades (younger generation professor) vs teachers who still hand write notes on the board and enter grades by hand into a grade books (older generation professor). Technology is here to make our lives easier and many younger generation teachers are taking advantage as seen through this survey.