Growing up I had many experiences with technology. I was fortunate enough to be in a school setting where all of my schools from elementary through high school had sufficient technology for the students and the teachers to use. My first experience was at Lake Tapps Elementary School where the students were required to use computers to assist them in learning reading and typing skills. I remember the teacher placing a piece of paper over our hands when we were learning so that we couldn't watch our fingers. It was difficult at first and the programs that we used were complicated and very difficult. I remember that I was struggling with the typing programs but fortunately the technology helped me to become fastering in my skills and when I achieved my goal I felt satisfied with the work that I put into it. The teachers also used technology to keep track of grades and handouts that benefited both them and the students in learning efficiently.
In high school technology was a much bigger part of my learning environment. It seemed that my high school career revolved around whatever technology project I was working on that week. I was really involved in a club and class called Vis Com (visual communications) which consisted of learning how to use computers for graphic design, screen printing, video production, sticker making, photography, and whatever else the student wanted to do. I was a member of the club all four years of high school. During that time I worked on many projects from designing and printing shirts for the school sports and club teams,
As I progressed in my schooling I remember more and more uses of technology in teaching. My teachers in middle school would use computers, video tapes, and other resources to broaden the knowledge learned, especially in areas like science and english. There was a technology club and a required computer literacy class that every student had to accomplish before graduating. In this course we learned the effectiveness of the internet, how to create a website, how to use particular progress like word, excell, and powerpoint. Unfortunately this class was the main course where we incorporated the technology that we learned, and much of the information was wasted and forgotten. If the teachers assigned projects or incorporated the programs that we learned in our technology class into their own classes I think that the information would have been a greater benefit to the students. We also used video morning announcements in middle school. The student body president and the rest of the ASB would create a video each week that was played every morning througout the week. This video consisted of small skits, announcements for the day, and major events that were occuring throughout the school and the community. It was a fun way to get the students involved in technology, and also a great way to remind the teachers and students of events happening that day.
All throughout high school I felt like my life revolved around technology. Whether I was writing a paper or working on a video for my spanish class, we used technology in almost every classrrom. I was very involved in the vis com (visual communications) club all four years of high school so I was constantly working on projects for the class. I designed and printed shirts for the sports and clubs in the school, created CD covers for local bands, produced my own snowboarding videos, shot and alterned digital pictures for several students senior photographs, and I worked on an hour long video for the senior class. This video was a memorial of the year and had footage from every event with music dubbed over it. The process took the whole year but in the end I think that the student body was happy with the results.
So as you can see I have had a lot of experience with technology throughout the last 15yrs of my life and I know that through technology I am able to increase my knowledge everyday.
