Technology Autobiography

My experience with technology is very extensive. There wasn’t a time in my life when I don’t remember using computers. My father is a Technology Consultant at an Accounting firm, and always had the latest technology in our home when I was growing up. We were the first one on the block to have cable TV, a CD player, High speed internet, and DVDs. Not only is this his job, but he enjoys technology in his spare time, such as editing digital home movies.
This is probably the main reason I have the career I do today. I decided I wanted to teach Business and Technology about halfway through college. I got my undergraduate degree in business, and shortly after began teaching at Mercy Academy. After I started teaching I went back to school to get my MAT. This is the last class that I have to take to complete my degree.
This is my 4th year teaching a Computer and Technology Applications class at Mercy. It is a required course for all freshmen. Since the class’s inception, it has been a course on Keyboarding and Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Publisher.) This however is quickly becoming unnecessary as many of the grade schools are teaching these programs. This year, I have shortened the length of each unit and added a unit on Digital Storytelling. This semester I also hope to do a few lessons on Dreamweaver.
When I did the unit on Digital Storytelling, the students loved the idea of recording their narration to the movie. It was difficult to get them to understand that this wasn’t a slide show, but a movie. Before Christmas Break they all completed a 2-3 minute story with narration and background music.
I am very comfortable with these programs that I teach, but since technology changes so rapidly, I would like to learn more about new technology and tools available on the internet. I have a feeling that some of these things my students are very familiar with, and I am lacking in knowledge.
As a Computer teacher, I feel it is very important to have computers in the classrooms. It allows us to be more efficient in the way we teach, and exposes the students to some technologies that they will see in the workplace. I think it promotes organization and neatness in their work. Technology makes it impossible for students to use the excuse, “my printer was broken” because they can always email an assignment or print it out at school. Students use technology to demonstrate knowledge in a variety of ways. They can also make teaching aids to help their classmates learn in fun and exciting ways.
I hope students learn in my class that technology is in the workplace, and it is necessary to be familiar with how to use computers. Employers expect a new hire to be proficient. If we did not include technology in our curriculum, we would be doing a disservice to our graduates.