Thoughts on New Technologies

• Discuss your personal thoughts about the technologies we've tried out so far (film, home pages, Second Life, and now blogs).
• How might these technologies shape your future teaching?
• How might they shape you as a person/scholar?

Nowadays, technologies are not separable from our lives. In workplaces, people sit in front of computers starring at the screen. In educational settings, technology can be used to enhance learning, for example, learners do projects using computers and the Internet to search for information. Students do not use pens or pencils to write their papers anymore. Papers with handwriting are not accepted to some instructors. Then, students are required to get used to “typing” than “writing” to convey their thoughts on the paper. It is important to be familiar with technologies used in schools. For example, using PowerPoint (PP) is widespread in classrooms. Teachers use the PP along with their lectures. And student use the PP to present their projects. I had discussion with my classmates the other day about using the PP in classrooms. I have learned that some of them are anti-PP side. One of them said he would rather spend time doing his research than create flowery PP per se. My point here is deciding whether to use PP in classrooms depends on the students’ need. If using PP helps them memorize the information, why not? Learning does not come in one channel of hearing, but vision will enhance their learning. On the other hand, it is optional when doing presentation to general audiences. If a presenter does not want to distract their audiences with other material except their speech, the PP is not a good idea for them.

It is true that technologies advance so greatly that we sometimes can not catch up. Students need some guides and instruction to learn about new technologies. I think even teachers need some instruction as well.

The movie “The Time Machine” showed in the beginning of the course was interesting and I enjoy the movie. If would be awesome if we could go back in the past and correct something. The movie was produced in 1960. The man in the movie invented a vehicle that sent him to the past to save his fiancée. It showed that people invented the technology to response their needs.
It was my first time using Microsoft Front Page to create my professional homepage as a doctoral student at IUP. Dr. Pagnucci gave us instructions about using the program. The rest, I am self-taught. Learning new program needs exploration. It took me several days to get used to the program. I did google to search for information about how to use Microsoft FrontPage and it was very helpful. I wish I had more fancy biography.