Technology in the Classroom

I keep talking about technology and how it influences so many aspects of our lives, yet a managed to overlook the classroom. We spend such big parts of our lives in the classroom yet I never realized how much we use technology. I remember when chalk boards and textbooks were the only things teachers used to teach. I rememeber when they introduced those huge light projectors which you could only use that see through paper to write on. Then they introduced TV's into some classrooms so we could watch videos on them. Now they have high tech projectors in every room with surround sound speakers. We can see anything from power points to internet videos on these projectors. Many classes use online textbooks now and even the chalkboard has been replaced. All my teahers use expo marker boards and I now see more and more teachers using smart boards. Its crazy how when I was in 2nd grade chalk boards were the only piece of equipment used by teachers. Now they have everything under the sun to help them teach. And the funny thing is, most students don't think twice when something is displayed on a the projector rather than it being written down on the board.

Halloween

Well it's Halloween again. I love this holiday. When I was little I loved Halloween because you could get free candy. Now I love it because you can dress up as anything and you can see others dress up even more ridiculously. Surprisingly, though, technology has not really invaded Halloween costumes. Costumes are a pretty big deal here, but when I lived in the states that had HUGE stores that were devoted only to Halloween costumes. The weird thing is, however, that the method for picking costumes is pretty much the same as when I was a little kid. You go to PartyCity or whatever, look at the huge board of costumes then hope that the one you want is not sold out. Now, obviously, you can go online and find a costume, but the process is pretty much the same. The only place I saw technology invade Halloween was when I saw someone dressed as an iPod. Yet even this costume was hand made with cardboard. Hopefully we will be able to continue this tradition of having cool, non-technology costumes for
Halloween. Happy Halloween everyone!

Music

Even music has become more technologically advanced. It seems that at more and more parties people are listening to techno music. I am assuming that the word techno has something to do with technology. Don't get me wrong, I really like techno music, but it seems like even this facet of my like is being taken over by technology. I realized this when one of my friends showed me a techno song he made. It was very good and I asked how he made it, to which he replied "computer, course." Wow, I thought, even music could be made using the computer, very good music at that. Sometimes I wish I had the computer skills to make music like that. But its great that I don't have to wait months to hear a good new song, I can just get one from my friend. I only have to wait one afternoon. DJ'ing, which is how a lot of techno music is made, is now done on computers as well. Its great and you can hear a lot of great new music as well. People can now even mix up two really good songs on the computer and come up with an even better one. Computers have done wonders for techno music.

Cell Phones

Cell phones have become the norm. Everywhere you go all people have one. Young or old, rich or poor, almost everyone has one. It's amazing though how much cell phones have changed. I go my first cell phone when I was in 8th grade. For the time it was pretty up-to-date. It had a camera, color screen, and bluetooth capability. I am now a senior and have an iPhone. I barely know half the things my phone can do. And, when i begin to figure out some of the features, Apple makes ten more features I have to figure out how to use. My dad told me about the first cell phones and when he got one. He said the first cell phones were big and bulky, about the size of a military grade walkie-talkie. There was no screen, only a small display where you could type in the numbers. They had horrible reception and almost no one had a cell phone. This was between the 80's and 90's. No cell phones can do everything under the sun. Besides unlimted calling and texting features most phones have internet access. Many phones, now, are just as good, if not better, than a computer. I see people writing emails, checking their facebook, even doing their taxes on their phones. Maybe not doing their taxes yet, but I'm sure that will happen in the near future. Cell phones can also be used to replace an iPod or a digital movie player. Everything you could want is on there. And now that prices are lower than ever, almost anyone can afford a good cellphone. I think all the features available are cool, yet it seems that everyone is so engrossed in their cell phones. You could be having a conversation with someone, and right tehre in front of you that person will be on their cell phone having a conversation with three other people. I find that a bit ridiculous. Soon we will have video chat on our cell phones, many nokia phones are already equipped with video camera for this. I wonder how that will turn out...

Blackberrys? Hate 'em

Yeah, just now I couldn't figure out how to copy and paste something on another persons blog. Technology and I are an epic fail.
But lets talk about Blackberrys. I really hate them. Everyone has them. People always come to me and ask me what my bbm pin is. When i tell them I don't have a Blackberry they look at me like I'm and alien or something. I'm sure I wouldn't hate them so much if everyone didn't have them. Come to think of it I might, just might, consider getting one if only one or two people i know have them (that brick breaker game is unreal). But why does everyone feel the need to get one? iPhones are obviously superior, and, at least in the UK, services are pretty much the same, so what is the great incentive to get one? What can you do on a Blackberry that you cannot do on an iPhone? bbm? If you honestly got a Blackberry because of bbm, then I just lost a lot of respect for you. Basically, if you are planning to get a Blackberry, don't get one. It's a waste. Trust me.

Technology Blogging?

I'm quite bad at using technology. Posting to forums, downloading things, its all another language to me. The most I really use the computer for is to write essays, check emails, and download movies and music. To old people this may seem like a lot of use of technology, yet to the people of my generation, it is a drop in the ocean. I know people who build websites and design programs with ease, while I am sitting in front of a computer screen struggling to figure out how to turn on Garage Band.
Almost all aspects of our lives involve technology. Even acts as rudimentary as walking somewhere can encompass a world of technology. People all around me use iPhones and GPS's to find their way around a city. I'll be honest, I have an iPhone and I do use the GPS feature, but whatever happened to using a good old map? In 9th grade my english class read a book about how technology would take over the world. The book was called Fahrenheit 451 and it was written in 1952. Yet the ideas were pretty clear, technology will take over the world, and the take over has already started.