This class, Enhancing Instruction through Educational Technology, really made me wonder what types of technology my MATC students are currently using. Since I was in the inquiring mood, I thought it would be interesting to find out what other students were doing as well.
So, for this project I surveyed my on-campus Psych students, they range in age from 17 to 57, average age 25. Also, per my request, a friend of mine asked her 11 year old middle-schoolers the same questions. Last but not least, my sister, who runs a daycare up North, questioned her preschool and after-school program kids.
Listen how it goes…
When MATC students were asked, Do you use a cell phone or similar device?
100 % said yes.
Do you text message?
92 % said yes.
Do you use a computer, your own, a friend’s, your family’s, the library’s, etc.?
100 % said yes.
I found that 100% of my students Google, 70% Facebook, but only 8% of them said they use Twitter.
Half, 50%, Blog or read Blogs.
Only one of my students knew what a “Wordle” was!
And all of them knew how to “download” or “upload” a photo and/or music.
On the other hand, 48% of the eleven year old MPS middle-schoolers have a cell phone, and 37% of the group, text.
They ALL use a computer and they ALL Google.
33% of these 11 years olds said they Facebook.
Again, low numbers for twitterers, only 7% say they twit.
30% Blog or read Blogs.
No one in this middle school class room knew what a “Wordle” was.
Although 74% said they knew how to “download” and/or “upload” music or photos.
For my sister’s preschool and after school students who range in age from 3 to 9 years old, over half of them use a cell phone. Her one 6 year old commented, “But only when someone calls me.”
Only one of them, text message.
ALL of them use a computer.
When it came to questions about Googling, Facebooking, Twittering, and Blogging, the unanimous comment was, “HUH?”
They just snickered at the word “Wordle.” Later, when we discussed their answers, my sister asked me, “What is a Wordle?”
We all also asked, Where do you get your news?
In general, the answers did not surprise me for the mass majority of the MATC and MPS middle school students said T.V., with internet sites coming in as a distant second.
The little kids were all over the board however, split between T.V., radio, internet, newspapers, and my favorite “Mom and Dad.”
When it comes to MY current use of technology, yes, I have and use a cell phone and a computer.
I Google, Facebook, and now I Blog. YEA!
I do not however, twit or text.
Where do I get my news? T.V. and my very smart husband.
Do I know what a “Wordle” is? I do; thank you Rita!
And finally, alas, no – I do not know how to “download” or “upload” a photo and/or music. But wait – give me a minute – hear this ♪♫ ♪ ♪♪ ♫
I do have Santana’s “Oye como va” on my cell phone.
My daughter downloaded the song for me.
Or was that an upload?
THANK YOU for listening to how it goes.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Survey
YOUR AGE: years
1. Do you use a cell phone or similar device?
yes no
2. Do you text message?
yes no
3. Do you use a computer; your own, a friend’s, your family’s, the library’s, etc.?
yes no
4. Do you Google?
yes no
5. Do you Facebook?
yes no
6. Do you Twit; use Twitter?
yes no
7. Do you have a Blog/s, and/or have you ever read or commented on a Blog/s?
yes no
8. Where do you get your news (choose only one)?
· Radio
· T.V.
· Newspaper/s
· Internet sites
· Other
9. Do you know what a Wordle is?
yes no
If YES, please briefly define:
10. Do you know how to download or upload a photo and/or music?
yes no
1. Do you use a cell phone or similar device?
yes no
2. Do you text message?
yes no
3. Do you use a computer; your own, a friend’s, your family’s, the library’s, etc.?
yes no
4. Do you Google?
yes no
5. Do you Facebook?
yes no
6. Do you Twit; use Twitter?
yes no
7. Do you have a Blog/s, and/or have you ever read or commented on a Blog/s?
yes no
8. Where do you get your news (choose only one)?
· Radio
· T.V.
· Newspaper/s
· Internet sites
· Other
9. Do you know what a Wordle is?
yes no
If YES, please briefly define:
10. Do you know how to download or upload a photo and/or music?
yes no
Sunday, October 4, 2009
"X"
“I X it.”
“What do you mean you X it?”
“You know, I X it.
“Actually I don’t know what you mean by X it. Do you mean you—exit?
“No, I mean I X it.
Sigh. “If I’m going to help you, you’ll need to tell me exactly what you mean by—X it.”
“Okay, this is what I always do—I bring the curser up to the top of my computer screen and move it way over to the right hand side, and then I X it.”
“Oh, so you click on the X, correct?”
“Yeah!”
“Therefore you close the file.”
“That’s what I said, I X it.”
“But if you close the file, he wouldn’t have access to the program. Hmm.”
“Hmm, maybe—I don’t X it?”
“Instead of the X, could you have clicked on the little box or, more likely, the minus sign?”
“I think it might have been that minus sign, yeah—not the X.”
“Did it seem like the page kind of, shrank away once you clicked it?”
“Yes, that’s it exactly.”
The eureka moment. “You minimized the program; it’s still open, although once you shut off your computer he should not have been able to get in.”
Silence.
“You do shut off your computer, don’t you?”
“Not always.”
Deeper sigh. “Well, there you go, that’s how your little brother accessed your Facebook. He saw the program on the bottom of your computer screen and just opened it.”
Tears. “He sent awful messages to all my friends and they thought it was me sending them. What should I do?”
“Call all your friends and tell them what happened and next time—.”
“I know, X it!”
“What do you mean you X it?”
“You know, I X it.
“Actually I don’t know what you mean by X it. Do you mean you—exit?
“No, I mean I X it.
Sigh. “If I’m going to help you, you’ll need to tell me exactly what you mean by—X it.”
“Okay, this is what I always do—I bring the curser up to the top of my computer screen and move it way over to the right hand side, and then I X it.”
“Oh, so you click on the X, correct?”
“Yeah!”
“Therefore you close the file.”
“That’s what I said, I X it.”
“But if you close the file, he wouldn’t have access to the program. Hmm.”
“Hmm, maybe—I don’t X it?”
“Instead of the X, could you have clicked on the little box or, more likely, the minus sign?”
“I think it might have been that minus sign, yeah—not the X.”
“Did it seem like the page kind of, shrank away once you clicked it?”
“Yes, that’s it exactly.”
The eureka moment. “You minimized the program; it’s still open, although once you shut off your computer he should not have been able to get in.”
Silence.
“You do shut off your computer, don’t you?”
“Not always.”
Deeper sigh. “Well, there you go, that’s how your little brother accessed your Facebook. He saw the program on the bottom of your computer screen and just opened it.”
Tears. “He sent awful messages to all my friends and they thought it was me sending them. What should I do?”
“Call all your friends and tell them what happened and next time—.”
“I know, X it!”
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Technology
CIRCLE OF TECHNOLOGY
Susan Damgard-O’Brien
September, 2009
If you live in the past, your life is lost for you do not exist today.
Celebrating the present but forgetting who you were, condemns you to ignorance.
Merely working for tomorrow, the joy of now is beyond your reach.
Rather, embrace the circle of what was, what is, and what will be.
Technology is and always has been a part of our circle.
Susan Damgard-O’Brien
September, 2009
If you live in the past, your life is lost for you do not exist today.
Celebrating the present but forgetting who you were, condemns you to ignorance.
Merely working for tomorrow, the joy of now is beyond your reach.
Rather, embrace the circle of what was, what is, and what will be.
Technology is and always has been a part of our circle.
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