Technology Autobiography

Paulette Victoria Perez

EDT 3371
 As a junior, I have come to realize that being familiar with many technological devices

will benefit you as they are heavily used throughout your collegiate career. Technology is used

to sign up for classes, turn in assignments and construct projects. Throughout time, civilization

has grown with the help of technological advances. It is like the old adage says, Necessity is

the mother of invention, and the need to improve the human condition is what drives the

development of new technologies. Technology is presumed to improve our quality of life. As

we continue to make more technological advances we can easily see that it is incorporated in our

day-to-day lives and we are evolving along with it.

I have personally become more familiar with these devices since I have started college.

At the University of Texas at El Paso, we use a program called Blackboard. It is a platform

where you can communicate with your peers and professors. The professors post their syllabi,

due dates and their students grades. It is also the site where you turn in your assignments and

interact with peers through a discussion board. I have also become better acquainted with the

basic applications like Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

Since I have started college I have done all of my assignments on Word, even when it is

due on Blackboard. On Word I can change the font, font size and color. When I am done

revising on Word, I simply copy it into Blackboard. I use PowerPoint to make presentations

when I have a group assignment. It is here where I can add pictures, videos and sounds. I also

edit the font and change the style to make my report effective and memorable. I am able to

create tables, input grades and create certificates all by using Excel.

I recently learned how to use Adobe Photoshop for a class. I had to create a picture that

backed up an argumentative essay. When I first started this assignment, I had very low hopes for

my image, however I turned to YouTube, a streaming application, and learned how to use
Photoshop. This experience solidified my idea that I can use technology to learn how to use

special tools and programs.

I am a strong believer that technology is needed in the classroom. You can use tablets,

computers and even cellular devices to engage students to participate in classroom activities. I as

a college student have surprisingly been using Kahoot, an online interactive game, to learn and

study. I am also using an amazing application called Top Hat Lecture that can be accessed

through a phone or computer, which shows me my professors lesson as it is happening. Through

this, the professor can upload questions for us the students to answer to keep us engaged and help

us retain information.

As technology evolves we also evolve, thus affecting the way we teach and learn. I have

had the pleasure of observing many classrooms, including a special program called WIN

Academy in the Socorro Independent School District. It is a program that is tailored to children

who may have difficulty retaining information in a regular classroom setting. The academy

provides all children with a laptop, since it is used on a daily basis. Many people will think that

this dependency will hindered the students, but the laptop is used to help engage them. Students

are introduced to a variety of lessons in all subjects: reading, writing, math, science and social

studies. One major aspect in this particular classroom is that the teacher always introduces the

lessons accordingly while the students observe, listen and share their learning. During an

observation in science, the teacher had prepared hands on science tools for the students to use as

they listened and followed the lesson as the teacher explained. The students were able to practice

what was learned and go back to the video provided as needed on their laptops. I saw the

students had the advantage to exercise their learning and submit their assignments for the teacher

to later review and grade. This opportunity allows students to learn at their own pace since it is
individualized studying. When ever they encountered a problem the teacher always assisted

them, re-explaining the lesson. Once the student learns the routine, the students become

confident and independent. I foresee education going in this direction as we emerge into the 21st

century.

As the years go by, we see tablets replacing textbooks in the classroom. Technology is a

tool that can be used to make learning more accessible and practical. The way we use technology

has completely transformed our everyday lives. It is becoming a necessity that teachers become

familiar with evolving technologies as they shape how children learn. By incorporating

technology into their lessons, teachers are setting their students up for success both in the

classroom and in the real world