-
My first memory of using technology in school is from 1st grade English class, where our teacher rewarded a few students--don't quite remember why--with play time in the computer classroom (back when you had to go to a separate room to use technology at school). The game was "The Tortoise and the Hare", an interactive storybook game about the fable. I remember having a lot of fun with this! -
We would spend the whole computer class period in 2nd grade playing around with WordArt on our Word documents and Powerpoints. Everyone's favorite? The rainbow one, of course! -
In the 3rd grade, we had to make our first PowerPoint presentation for a computer class assignment. It was in pairs, and it was on icons of Venezuelan culture--ours was about legendary actor Tomás Henríquez. I remember LOVING the gradient presets in PowerPoint and having different gradient backgrounds for each slide. It was a homework assignment, so we had to bring the presentation to school on a USB. -
For our 6th grade English class, our first major project of the year was to make a short film in groups of 4. We had to write the script, film it, and edit it. We wrote it out in Microsoft Word and printed out scripts for all of the actresses; we filmed the movie on a digital camera and exported its contents to a desktop; and used editing software (don't remember which one) to put it all together--which included searching the web for sound effects and downloading audio from Youtube videos. -
My new school used a SIS, unlike my elementary school. The software was "Educamos" and it was VERY janky and very limited. I remember most of us hated it! The interface was ugly and it was not user-friendly at all--but it was my introduction to SISs. -
Starting in 8th grade, my school implemented iPads as a learning tool. I remember mostly using it to keep track of my homework through the Reminders app and for doing BuzzFeed quizzes in class. Don't really remember how our teachers integrated them into our classes, though... -
My new high school required students have personal laptops they could use in-class. My parents had gifted me an HP laptop a couple of years before then, but by the time I started 10th grade it was on its last legs. Most (if not all) students at the school had Macbooks, so my parents and I decided to replace my old laptop and get a Macbook Air--the same one I use to this day! -
The last 3 months of 11th grade and the entirety of my 12th grade were held over Zoom. Teachers scrambled to adapt to distance learning, and most of them did a decent job, given the circumstances!