Technology in Your Daily Life

This week for class we were asked to consider our own use of technology. We were asked to answer these questions: Would I consider myself to have a “millennial learning style?” Do I use technology freely and with ease in most aspects of my life? Or do I begrudgingly use technology only when I am forced to? Finally, what effect, if any, has my use of technology had on the way I learn, or on my educational experiences in general?

Chris Dede writes that the Internet-based learning styles ascribed to “Millennial” students – those born after 1982 – increasingly apply for many people across a wide range of ages, driven by the tools and media they use every day (pp. 8). I would have to say that I do consider myself to have a “millennial learning style” even though I was born way before 1982.

Being able to go back to school and finally complete a goal of mine would never have been possible with out online education. For me to be able to be as successful as I have been with online education I found myself having to use technology freely and with ease in most aspects of my life. With being comfortable and using technology everyday made the decision to go back to school online and easy choice for me.

Another example of my comfort and use of technology freely is doing this blog site. I had no idea till I started this project how to create a blog. Without getting stressed out over it I jumped in and figured out how to do it and now have this blog site. When I am not bogged down with full time classes and work I will probably start another blog about photography and digital art.

Technology as we all know is forever changing and at a very quick rate. When I went to my first online school I was using great tutorial videos that help me get through projects that were assigned to me. I also got to experience a writing tablet for some of my drawing projects. Without these forms of technology I think it would have been harder to achieve graduating with a 4.0 gpa.

Now I find myself at a different online college and with this college I am learning that there is a lot more research that needs to be done. I am finding the online library to be a great resource center for me. I have also used the Internet for my other class to find some great case studies for business. I even have instructors now that are having audio instructions for us to listen to. I love the convenience of downloading the audio instruction into my IPod and listening to it when I have spare time.

Technology and my comfort in using it is helping make my dreams come true. I only hope that when I finally am an Instructional Designer that I can use technology to help make others comfortable with it as a learning tool.

Reference

Dede, C. (2005). Planning for neomillennial learning styles. Educause Quarterly,
1, 7–12.