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I was born seven weeks early on January 24th, 1976. I spent the first couple of months of my life at the University of Virginia hooked up to machines that breathed for me. I guess you can say that technology was an important part of my life from the start! Photo courtesy of The Frederick News Post.
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My first memory of electronic games were with the Atari I was given for Christmas one year. My favorite games that I remember sitting in my bedroom and playing for hours were Frogger, Donkey Kong, and Q'Bert. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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I remember listening to records on my parent's record player they kept in our kitchen. Two that stand out in my memory are the "Thriller" album by Michael Jackson and "The Alvin and the Chipmunks" Christmas Album. Photo courtesy of fat beats.com
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I remember my first interaction with a computer happening in third grade at school. Our whole grade level of five classes (about 100 students) shared ONE computer for our whole group. Earning time to play Oregon Trail on that computer was the highlight of every student's week! I still love that game and have introduced it to my own children as they've learned about it in school. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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When I was in middle school, I remember sitting by my radio when the Top 40 Music Show would come on the radio with my fingers ready to hit record when my favorite songs would come on! All through middle school, blank tapes were so popular and the only way to record music! The worst was when one side of the cassette tape would run out in the middle of the song or when the DJ would talk over the song at the beginning or the end! Photo courtesy of reddit.com.
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When my mother went back to get her Master's Degree, she bought a computer to use for her classwork. I was twelve-years-old and in middle school. She kept it on a desk in between our kitchen and living room. I remember the cursor blinking orange... and the printer paper having the perforated edges on both sides. It wasn't hooked up to the internet. We just used it for floppy disk and hard disk programs, typing papers, and playing games.
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When I was in high school, I got my first stereo that was a radio, CD player, and dual cassette tape all in one! CDs were so shiny and new and seemed so technologically advanced! I remember being amazed at being able to skip ahead to another song without having to click fast forward and wait for the cassette tape to wind around to the next song while guessing where to stop! Photo courtesy of common shopping.com
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In 1994, I started college and with graduation money, I purchased a word processor to use for my assignments. Looking back, I can't believe I typed all of my college essays on that little word processor screen! Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
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Even though cell phones had been out for a few years, I finally bought my very own cell phone with my own money during my junior year in college. I didn't understand minute usage and roaming charges, and my first monthly bill was over $600... I still remember the shock of getting that bill over twenty years later! I wish I had kept my first cell phone. My students, today, would laugh at it! Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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My senior year in college, I finally purchased my own personal computer. I'm a little embarrassed to say that it look that long to get one! I finally didn't have to look at that little word processing screen anymore. I also was getting used to the world of dial-up internet and getting introduced to AOL and the ability to email and chat! Photo courtesy of medium.com.
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I was hired to teach for my first year in August of 2000. The first classroom I remember had no air-conditioning, 70's cement and tile flooring, and mismatched chairs and chipped desks. I also had an overhead projector and remember making transparencies to use for my lessons with my students! Photo courtesy of eBay.com
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In 2005, the school where I taught finally let go of overhead projectors and installed ceiling-mounted projectors and wall-mounted smart board. I remember feeling so lost and having no idea how I was going to learn something so foreign to me! I stored my overhead projector in the closet in my classroom for a couple of years after that "just in case".... until I was able to finally let it go! Now, I can't imagine not having smart board technology in my classroom! Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
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In 2006, my husband and I planned our wedding. I finally purchased a laptop in order to keep up with the wedding planning and all the tasks that needed to be completed. I think I'm on my fifth or sixth laptop at this point... and can't imagine my life without it. I have one at school that we were given by my school system and one I use at home on a daily basis! Photo courtesy of apple-history.com
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In 2008, I purchased my first iPhone. It was the iPhone 3, and I have had iPhones ever since! I don't go anywhere without my cell phone and feel like it's a part of me! I can't imagine driving anywhere without it. I use it for everything from email, constant communication with my family and friends, research, photos, music, reading, and games. I am actually waiting for my contract to expire this fall, so I can get the next release of the iPhone! Photo courtesy of apple-history.com.
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In 2012, I bought my first iPad with the iPad 3. I use it mainly for reading and playing games... or just wasting time, really! My husband and I purchased our iPads at the same time, and this is probably my most recent huge technological event even though I've gone on to purchase more current ones. Photo courtesy of apple.com
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I can't believe how far we've come with technology in such a short period of time. I also can't even imagine where we'll be in another 30-40 years as well with technology. From the day I was born, technology has always played a big part in my life. After all, one more event I haven't shared yet is that I met my husband online as well about 15 years ago! We now share four beautiful children and a great life together that I can thank technology for playing a huge part in!
