Technology Trends

I graduated high school in May 1996. It was shortly before this date that I had my first encounter with the Internet. In the school library I looked up the Air Force public website while the librarian talked me through the process. In a freshman mathematics seminar I had my first experience sending email via the university email system. Throughout my undergraduate studies I had an Apple IIe computer, a pre-windows device that I only used as a word processor. If you look at the work-cited page of my undergraduate graduation paper (May 2001), my sources were books that I either bought or looked up in the library. There was no mention of Internet sources.

As a graduate student in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA), I had to learn to perform research over the Internet and learn to use Microsoft Office applications. It was not until I started my graduate program that I had a windows-based computer and Internet access at home. When I finished my SPEA degree in December 2007, I was using research material from the Internet.

It amazes me how far technology has gone in the last 12 years. I look at students who are now entering their undergraduate studies and I see how much their lives revolve around the Internet. Even with the military, I am required to take ancillary training via the web. A part of me thinks it is ridiculous on how dependent we are on computers.

I understand that technology is very important in meeting people in today’s world. I admit, I met my wife via a Catholic chat room. I watch my step-sons playing games like World of Warcraft with friends located in different towns. I still do not understand the purpose of Facebook and MySpace, but people spend copious amounts of time developing their sites.

Since this technology exists, teachers might as well use it to their advantage to help educate their students. Until recently I was reluctant to incorporate technology into the mathematics classroom, but with experience with computer programs like Mathematica and Geometer’s Sketchpad, I am willing to add technology to curriculum. I know that I will soon be learning how to make web pages, podcasts, imovies, and who knows what. If there is a way I can incorporate this technology into the classroom, I am willing to give it a try. I will not be learning just for me, but for the sake of educating students.