Positive/Negative Experiences with Technology

Christina was lucky enough to have a positive experience with technology. Her positive experience allowed her to plan a vacation completely online. Back in the day, vacations were planned via travel agent or making phone calls. Whereas, now she was able to use the Internet to book her flight and make a reservation at a hotel. She was able to search the web for the most affordable resorts and all-inclusive packages. Another important aspect was that she was able to to research each resort by viewing their websites which included; picture, virtual tours and ratings.

Andrea shared her negative experience with technology that actually occur ed this past semester here at Towson. She was working on a group project to collaboratively teach a lesson to the class. the lesson consisted of going on a virtual field trip. Her and her group mates found a video that lead a tour through the Baltimore Zoo. When it was time to present this lesson the technology was not cooperating. She explained how difficult it was to be in front of the entire class and not have cooperating technology. This entire lesson was based about this source of technology which ended up to be completely unreliable. She was frustrated to be in a classroom atmosphere where her resources were limited. As a result, Andrea was very disappointed with her lesson outcome and would have wished for better circumstances, but she had to make do with what she had.

Positive and Negative Experiences w/ Technology

Positive: One positive experience we all shared was the availability to technology in the classroom. With the availability of computers and other things we were able to become familiar with many programs. We were able to use computers for many different assignments at an early age and learn as a group with guidance from our teachers. We feel because we were exposed at an early age we feel more inclined to use technology now.

Negative: When we all were in elementary school we had to do the program "Type to Learn," we all thought it was annoying and did not enjoy it. The program was geared to help us with our typing skills and become familiar with the keyboard. We all became frustrated with it and cheated. Also, our hands were so little that we couldn't really do it. One negative thing from a teachers perspective is that he/she could not monitor all of the children.

Masters Group Positive and Negative Experiences

Alex shared with our group an example of how the convenience of technology can be crucial in certain situations. In one particular instance, he realized that he had forgotten to pay an important bill until the day that it was due. Being Sunday, however, the post office was closed and he was unable to mail the payment that day. Fortunately, technology now enables us to handle situations like this easily online. Alex was able to log in to his account on his credit card company's website and pay the bill electronically before the end of the day. Being able to do this saved him a trip to the post office and also the late fees that he would have acquired. This is a good example that I think most of us can relate with of how new technology has made everyday tasks easier to a great extent. However, our group also found that in certain situations, relying on technology can put a person in a hairy situation when the technology that the need fails.
Adam experienced this last semester on the day that he was supposed to present his 15-day lesson plan to his Curriculum and Assessment class. For his presentation, Adam had prepared some material that he was going to show to the class using the ELMO projector. When he went to use the projector, however, it failed to work, putting him in a terrible position. Furtunately, Adam had the materials on a "jump" drive and was able to improvise, but many of his classmates who were planning to use the ELMO were not as lucky.

Group 3 Positive and Negative Experiences with Technology

Lauren told us her positive experience with technology was that in elementary school she was able to use the internet to complete a project. She was given a research assignment about Manatees and considering there were very few books about these animals in the school library, the internet really helped her. She was able to find pictures, video clips and information for her research project.

Megan informed us of her negative experience with technology when she entered college and her professors heavily relied on using power points in class. She was so worried about copying every word on the slide that she didn't even begin to grasp the material that was being presented. Then when it came time to study for a test, she felt stressed and unprepared. She thought there was too much information on the slides instead of just key points that could have easily been explained.

Group 2- Positive and Negative Experiences with Technology

Caitlin explained that in high school she used to rent movie versions of books in order to better comprehend the plots. Some may think this is taking the easy way out, but after reading the book, and then watching the movie afterwards, she realized that technology truly helped her in English.

Jamie, as well as the rest of us, feel that our negative experience in learning with technology is trying to figure out all of these blogs, wikis, and other accounts for this class. We are often confused about whether or not we are posting things correctly, and this can be stressful when it has to do with our grades. We agree that many of these things can be useful, however, we wish that we had more practice using them.

Positive/Negative Experiences with Technology from Group 1

When our group discussed our experiences with technology, we all had very different positive experiences, but pretty similar negative experiences. Gina told us how a cassette helped her enjoy reading more. When she was younger, she hated hearing herself read out loud, and got easily bored with it. Her mom brought home a cassette tape of the book she was reading, so she could listen along as she read. It was fun for her and totally changed her attitude towards reading for school.
Chelsea made a great point when she explained her negative experiences with technology. She mentioned the fact that when we depend on technology and it fails, we're left in the dark. It can be as simple as not having the internet for a while, or as risky as having your phone die when you're stranded. We're so used to having so much at our fingertips now that when something doesn't work, it's incredibly frustrating.

Technobiography

If I look at my life as a whole, I don't think I really got into technology until I was in highschool; even then I was not that interested. Throughout my life there was not too much technology in my home. My parents were very down to earth and the new technologies did not interest them. Therefore, they did not bring them into our home. When I was growing up I spent a lot of time outside, reading, playing games, going to the park, keeping myself entertained with my imagination.
When we finally got a computer, we all used it for homework and that was it. I didn't really like to aimlessly search the internet; I thought it was boring. I got my cell phone my freshman year of highschool, I was attached to it for a few months and then it got overrated. Then, when my parents gave in to my brothers to get a game system I was a senior and I wasn't into the racing and killing games.
It was not until I got to college that I have really grown to be some-what attatched to technology. I am constantly on the go using technology to get things done the fastest. I use my e-mail often, depend on the internet for homework and definately get the use out of my laptop. I'll occasionally use my ipod, and love my camera when I actually remember to get it. I don't really get into tv and I think that is a good thing. However, there is currently a blackberry on route to my house in the mail, I might be in trouble when I get that. I might actually have an attachment to something. However, there are still times when I like to go outside and just turn everything off. Sometimes, technology is just annoying.

tech biography Christina Creegan

My biography of technology hasn't been much. There was one computer that all of my siblings shared. We had a TV, VCR and a Nintendo 64. We slowly got the newer and more updated technology. We first got cable when I was in middle school, I got my first cell phone in 8th grade, and got my own computer in 12th grade. I had my first computer class my sophomore year in college. I now have my own TV, desktop computer, laptop, and an iphone. I now try to stay up on the new technology that comes out.

Brett Leppert's Technobiography

All things considered, I would say that I grew up somewhat behind the technology curve. Ussually, my family would get whatever was out there about 8 months after it had come out and all my friends were allready bored with it, or when something else had come out to replace it. I grew up with a tv and a vhs player in my living room that me and my older brother watched Fraggle Rock videos on when we weren't wearing out the batteries in our Teddy Ruxpin. I got introduced to the computer sometime when I was in elementary school when my dad brought home one of those Macintosh 128ks in the late 90s, about ten years after it had come out. It was one of those computers that you could play the floppy disk games like Oregon Trail, Number Munchers, or Leisure Suit Larry if your parents weren't paying attention. We upgraded computers a few times; whenever someone we knew was getting a new one, we'd buy their old one that would almost always be too slow to even enjoy using. I found out about AOL and AIM when the internet got big and I played around with those until facebook came out. I did eventually get a laptop of my own, but not until I was going away to college so, having to share the family computer growing up, I didn't spend as much time on it as other people may have.
I grew up with a few toys and gadgets, but typically played with the same ones most of the time. When Home Alone II came out, my brother got one of those Talkboys and we used that nonstop until it broke. An older cousin gave me his old Nintendo when I was probably 10 and I still play it today, although I just got the Wii system so it may get boxed up for a while. Aside from the Wii, I have been making progress in terms of new technology the past few months. I just got a flipcamera, which is the first camera that I've owned. I bought an Ipod, but it got stolen so it will be awhile before I get another. And I'm considering upgrading from my go-phone to maybe a Razer, or something like that.

Chris Sneeringer's Technobiography

Computers and technology have been a part of my life since I was young. I can recall having a computer in my household. It had those big flat discs. I had games like Math Blaster and other similar educational games.

I can remember when I got a bit older and video game systems began to get popular. I didn't have a game system off the bat but I do remember playing Nintendo at a friend's house. Then I remember when Super Nintendo came out and how excited we all were. I then got into Sega and Sonic the Hedgehog. Soon after that my parents got me and my sisters a Sega Genesis. From there I've never looked back. It took a few years to convince my parents to get me a Nintendo 64 but I remember it fondly. I can remember when The Legend of Zelda The Ocarina of Time came out my best friend and I were glued to it. It likely made me the gamer I am today.

When I got into 5th grade I got an old laptop from my sister. It was actually running on whatever Windows came right before Windows 95. I then can remember when we finally got a house computer that ran on Windows 95 how exciting it was. Shortly after America Online came out and it changed everything for me. While I didn't understand the scope of the internet, it was a world changing moment. Classmates would argue about who had AOL 4.0 or 3.0. That was a big deal back then. I still have an old AOL account that was named after my love for Sonic the Hedgehog from way back. The internet also made for an interesting component in gaming. I started playing the EA Sport's NHL games. It was incredible gaining the ability to update your rosters.

Technology became less important to me as I began to get older. I lost interest in video games following the disappointment of The Gamecube and my reluctance to get a Microsoft system. The internet also became less important to me when I lived out on my own because it was just an extra expense. I could walk to campus and use it easily.

I did eventually fall in love with the Xbox 360. It is by far one of the greatest purchases I've ever made. I use it daily. My wife and I have cable and the Netflix program is outstanding for my daughter. It gives her limitless possibilities on what to watch, but we can still control it.

My wife and I were looking for a nice Blu Ray player and she ultimately decided on a Playstation 3. It is my first Sony system but I've enjoyed it thus far. Blu Ray has been a nice change from DVDs. I forgot to mention that earlier but I remember when DVDs got big. My friend bought an old DVD player at a pawn shop. It was a big clunky box but we loved what we could do with it.

On that note I also remember when CD's began to get big. I can recall buying my first CD in the Towson Town Mall. It was the soundtrack for the film That Thing You Do. I liked it because it had that retro sound to it. I couldn't even tell you where that CD went.

My wife and I also made the transition to Apple within the last few months. I bought an iPod Touch after my iPod had been stolen. My wife and I both loved the Wi Fi on the Touch and the way it processed. We knew the computer would be different, but the idea intrigued us. I love our MacBook and my old Desktop just collects dust in the basement now. It does not work all that well any way. I will probably never buy anything but Mac for the rest of my life.

Technologies' roll on my life has been pretty huge. I spend a considerable amount online everyday posting in message boards and emailing. I've gone through periods of my adult life without technology, but I love it just the same. I'm a gamer and I love being connected to my old college friends for a few rounds of Halo every now and again. They are on the other side of the country too.