Olivia’s story is one that is not much of a surprise. Most teenagers, adults, and even I make use of technology and social networking to make our lives more efficient, interactive, and fun. From the perspective of a teacher, there are number of things to that are important to know about Olivia’s relationship and interactivity with technology. Olivia’s use of MySpace and texting can tell me plenty about her ability to write well thought out ideas. There is a chance that she might unintentionally write out assignments using text shortcuts that are used for quicker texting such as “u” in place of “you” or “gr8” instead of “great”. Olivia’s fluency with technology does have some benefits for a school setting though. If I were to provide my class with an assignment such as finding a computer based arithmetic platform, some people may have trouble performing internet research or using a computer initially. With a student who has computer experience, such as Olivia, the class would have a go-to peer if they are in need of some assistance. Knowing that Olivia has a close relationship with technology can also mean that she, or other students who may have a similar relationship, might prioritize their personal life using social networking, gaming, or general internet surfing over their studies. Making use of technology is a two way street. Like most things in life, too much of a good thing can end up bad and technology is just one of them.
After watching the video "Learning to Change, Changing to Learn”, I realized that there is more to technology in terms of academics. I typically think of technology for school as doing some research for a paper or using word processing to type up essays. There is far more out there than Microsoft word. Students use film equipment to make videos for projects, teachers can use websites such as Blackboard to post homework assignments, and Facebook and email can be used to contact their partners for group projects. This video also made me believe that technology can be useful tools to students for staying up to date with schedules for ensuring that assignments are done in a timely manner and also help to get assignments done. Resources like Wikipedia can be used to find other, more credible sources for research projects. The students in the video clearly had age ranges of probably up 5 or 6 years apart yet they all found their own ways of making technology useful for their academics.
Thinking about the different communication technologies that I make use of, there are both advantages and drawbacks that I have come to face. My main usage of communication technology is my Facebook page. I can honestly say that I am on it for the majority of my days. I will typically stay logged in while I do my homework, eat, and it keeps me up into the wee hours of the morning. The latter of the three typically only happens during time off from school but that is beside the point. Facebook keeps me in touch with my peers but it has also on more than one occasion delayed my studies. Using Facebook has allowed me to access and learn about new information because for the most part, my friends post links to websites that involve current events in different internet newspapers such as The Washington Post. The second piece of technology that has influenced my life is my cell phone. I recently bought an IPhone and it has, without doubt, affected me. When I first received it I wanted to search for useful applications as well as get used to using this new device. It, like Facebook, took over my life for a short while and kept me from socializing with people in person. It does have some entertaining applications that have kept me busy when I have free time though. The third most influential communications technology that helped me learn no information is Google. If I have a question about anything at all, that is typically the first place I look. I grants me access to databases filled with useful information, but it also brings me to websites that are by no means reputable.
Similarly to the young people in the videos, I use technology to make my life more efficient and fun. Technology may have some dull effects on my life but both I, and the young people, believe that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
