Interactivity # 1

            Technology plays a vital role in Olivia’s life in both her school work and day-to-day activities.  She, like most students, relies on technology as a source of communication, information and entertainment.  Her cell phone and access to a computer allow her to stay in touch with her friends via phone calls, texting, instant messaging, email and social networking.  This is rather similar to the kind of relationship to technology the students I will be teaching will have.  It is important to recognize these uses of technology as they can affect the way my students communicate with me as well as each other.  It is reasonable to imagine that students would use social networking (such as setting up a private group on Facebook) as a means of correspondence when working together on a project.  Olivia shares that she often spends four to five hours at a time on the computer.  It is encouraging to hear that much of that time is spent looking up facts and researching things she is unfamiliar with.  She is also always finding new ways to customize her Myspace page.  Olivia is clearly curious and uses her access to the internet to learn more.  If more students are equally curious and resourceful (which I imagine they are, living in the information age), it would be important to utilize that drive and strategy in the classroom.  Finally, Olivia has an iPod that she is almost never without.  As a music educator, ease of sharing music from teacher to student and vice versa is valuable.

            The students in the video “Learning to Change, Changing to Learn” are all beyond familiar with multiple forms of technology.  Like Olivia, these technologies all play an integral part in these students’ lives; in some cases, it is a major part of their identities.  It is interesting to note that the students in this video provide the links between technology and their school experiences themselves.  For example, the connecting gaming with coordination and communication or the use of the camera on a cell phone for school projects.  To summarize one of the student’s thoughts: their access to potentially endless information means they have to refine their decision making skills.  Also, once again these students are problem solving using the resources they have at their disposal.

            The three most influential communications technologies in my life are my cell phone, iPod touch and my laptop.  I would have to say that a combination of these three devices takes up a large majority of the ways that I learn new information.  My cell phone is ranked first because it is the one device that I always have on my person.  It is quick and efficient mobile communication.  I also keep my calendar on my phone.  This is one facet of the device that I do not think the students are quite as reliant on as I am.  Next, my iPod is equally portable and has a 32 Gb capacity.  It allows me to carry essentially all of the music I could need on any given day.  Also, as long as I have a wireless connection, it allows me the ability to look things up with ease, check my email, Facebook and more.  I believe that the students featured in these videos would also use an iPod similarly although they may not be as invested in the ability to check multiple email addresses.  Finally, my laptop is a combination of my other communication technologies and then some.  With a decent computer and internet connection, anyone has access to an endless means of creation and consumption and seemingly endless content.