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Keyboarding Class
My earliest memory of using any technology in school was in the second grade. We would go to the library and practice 'keyboarding.' We had a guide on the computer screen to show us how to place our fingers on the keyboard, and we practiced moving the correct finger to tap the corresponding key. Image from freetypinggame.net -
Wii U
My most memorable Christmas was 2007. This was the year after the Wii came out. It was my first gaming system besides the handheld gameboy that I had. Later, I found out that my dad had waited for HOURS on Black Friday waiting in line to get it for me and my sister. It was a console that you put game discs into. Each player had to have their own remote, which was sensitive to how you moved it. We were in heaven! I remember playing Mario for hours! Image from Wikipedia. -
Phone calls
I distinctly remember a group of girls I was friends with in the fourth grade. I planned a birthday party that year and I wanted to call them all and invite them to it. At this time, I did not have a cell phone, so I had to use the landline. I thought it was awesome that we could do three way calls. I would have to call one friend and put them on hold to add another. It wouldn't be long until I got my first smart phone and could do group calls/chats much more easily. Image from Wikipedia. -
School iPads
We were given iPads at the beginning of my seventh grade year. Every student was given their own and could take it home at night. This was such an exciting event; prior to this, we would be sent to the library to look up anything online. Starting in 2011, we had our own devices in our hands at all times during the school day. From this point forward, teachers started using technology much more in the classroom. Image from Wikipedia. -
Online Classes
I started taking online college classes as a senior in high school. I had used Schoology in some of my high school courses to turn in work on our school iPads, but this online college course was my first time actually learning strictly through technology. I loved online classes from the beginning, but they do have their challenges, where there is not a teacher sitting directly in front of you. This was definitely a challenge for me at first, but I caught on quickly. Image from Govtech.com -
Teaching E-learning
What a year 2020 was! In August 2020, I accepted a job at Dunbar Middle School teaching English. In September, students started learning 100% remotely. This was a struggle for both me and the students. I had to learn how to video conference and communicate information/material to them across a screen. This was nothing like what I had prepared for. I have learned so much by teaching online and have been exposed to so many amazing resources that you can use online to teach. Image from Schoology