Interactivity #1

1. My phone.

2. My phone.

3. My phone.

This may seem like a cop-out, but this is the truth: the three most influential communications-technologies in my life right now happen to be my phone, my phone, and my phone. I was about to write down other things, but as I looked at my list, I realized that my phone was capable of doing what the other two objects could.

I consider my phone to be an amazing and essential part of my life. I am extremely grateful for my phone for the mere fact that it can stand alone. I had originally written down; "The Radio, My phone, and E-mail." Well, my "phone" -- if you could simply call it that... can send e-mails, make crystal clear phone calls, send and receive text messages, take pictures, make videos, make music, play games, listen to the radio, detect what the name of songs are on the radio, sensor my sleeping patterns, tell me how much money is in my bank account, tell me how the weather is, it can tell me where I am, it can be my metronome, my tuner, my recorder, it can tell me what direction I'm walking in, it can remind me to blog for my class at a specific time, it can wake me up in the mornings to get to class on time, and I can BLOG from it! That's not even the completed list of things that my phone can do.... but, you get the point.

I can communicate in all ways with this thing. I can literally call someone and communicate with them verbally, communicate through videos and pictures, and I can go on the internet and post my contributions onto a forum discussing specific topics. I can write my papers on it, I can e-mail my professors, and I can take over the world... Just joking. hah!

But seriously though, I don't remember what it's like to have to go and sit down on a computer. It's a crazy new medium. The more I think about it, the more amazing it is. A computer used to be the "end all - be all" of communication. Of course, of course, there ARE things that a computer can do that my phone can't, but not much. People would talk about how insane computers are and how they're sucking the life out of people because they have to sit down to use it. iPhones, like mine, are light, compact, and easy to take on-the-go. I really, truly believe that technology is evolving with the needs of humans. Learning new information is easy- it's at the tip of my fingertips. If I need to know the answer to a quick question, I can literally type in my question into google on my browser and it allows me to just arrive at my desired destination immediately!

The thing about Olivia’s relationship with technology is that although it’s not something that she has consistent access to, she is able to do all the things she does. She knows how to find different layouts for myspace, and she knows how to copy and paste. These are simple and basic functions on a computer that most students would know how to do if they have had a computer class and/or own a computer at home. The most important part about her relationship with technology is that it’s not consistent. As a teacher, it’s important to know that not all students are as, dare we say it, privileged as Olivia. Even having access to a computer in the building she lives in is more exposure than other kids could imagine! Imagine living in a world like that? I can’t just expect students to use technology right away and understand it intuitively the way she does. I don't expect students to have the same access to technology the way I do to my objects. 

As for the other kids, I don’t really find some of their mediums for conversing to be my most favorite forms of communication. To me, text messaging, tweeting, and social-networking sites are really detrimental to….dare I say it?: learning with actual social interactions. Social-networking websites should be used for just that: social- NETWORKING. It should be used for businesses, and sure, facebook is a great thing to use to keep in touch with old friends. However, because of facebook and blogs like tumblr and the internet in general, a lot of students have a ton of exposure to things that I don’t really agree with. Also, as an artist, I don’t believe in pirating or stealing music. Many people may disagree, but along with a ton of pros- technology definitely has it’s downfalls.

Here’s an essential breakdown of the wall of text I just wrote:

My favorite communications object: Phone.

Reason: It does everything that every other technological device does. Trust me.

My thoughts on Olivia: She’s a great example of what it’s like to teach in a more urban setting: not all students will have access to technology.

My thoughts on the 2^nd video: Kids need to talk to each other face-to-face more often. Tweeting is not beneficial in my classroom, neither is text messaging in my classroom. Having access to the internet is as helpful as it is dangerous. 

My conclusion: The best thing about technology, as stated in the second video, is simultaneous thought to an actual sensory object. Seeing what you're writing is immediate on most technological devices, and that is EXTREMELY helpful in a classroom setting.