Category Archives: A. Auto e-graphy

I was 10 years old when we got our first family computer that was put in the living room and became the center of attention for everyone who came to our house. I grew up with an older brother, who had begged my parents to buy him this computer in the first place. Before we got this computer he had some experience with computers as he used to go to his friends’ house and use computers for games and web surfing purposes.

I was always the sheltered younger sibling who did not know much about computers. The day when we got our first computer, my brother got help from his friends to set it up and they spent hours on the computer just setting it up and then doing different things on it. I was watching from far, waiting for my turn to use the computer. My parents did not know much about computers either so they decided to let my brother take the lead on everything when it came to the new computer at our house. After spending a few hours with his friends on the computer, my brother decided to go for a walk with his friends. I thought this was my chance to take a look at what it really was. I had seen my brother use the PC start button to turn it on, so I pressed it and it turned on. I double clicked on a few things on the desktop and drew a few things on paint and realized it was time for my brother to get back home. This is when I realized that I only knew how to turn it on but did not know how to turn it off. I remembered my brother did something with the mouse to turn it off and didn’t use the PC start button to turn it off. As I started to panic, trying to remember how to turn it off, my brother came back. He yelled at me for touching the computer without his permission and turning it on and claimed that I don’t know anything about computers and would have wrecked the new computer.

This fight with my brother instilled a fear inside of that I can never learn how to use a computer. I lived with this fear up until I went to high school and got my own laptop. Only then did I realize that computer was a very useful thing and one cannot break it by just doing their work on it. However, my parents are still afraid of using the computer today.

The question this experience raises for me today is: my parents supported my brother when he yelled at me because they did not know how to use computers either, so there was this stigma that it is something new and we don’t want it to get wrecked so stay away from it. It makes me want to think:

As we celebrate the start of a new year, 2018, is digital technology still something that people of certain age fear? How can that fear be uplifted?

One of my first experiences with computers was in grade 6 and 7 when my teacher would take us to the school computer lab outfitted with Macintosh Plus computers.  I have fond memories of login into Waterloo Macjanet and opening All-the-Right-Type.  I was under the impression that computers were essentially glorified typewriters because all we did with them was practice our typing while donning placemats over our hands.  At the time, those who were “good” at computers were those who could type more than 45 words per minute.  

In the last couple years, I had the privilege of returning to elementary school as a grade 6/7 teacher after teaching high school math and physics for many years.  Although I have since returned to teaching senior Math, it was great to see how the computer lab has changed over the years with increased laptop carts and bring your own device (BYOD) programs.  I was amazed that of my class of 27, all but one brought in their own personal device.  These 11 and 12 year olds were already familiar with Google Apps for Education (something I had just learned a few years prior) and they could effectively acquire, interpret and present a variety of information.  There were still the usual frustrations, notably student’s forgetting passwords and wifi connection issues, but the students were truly engaging with technology in ways I would have never dreamed 20 years ago.  

As I reflect upon how cursive writing has gone by the way of the Dodo, what other skills are the 21st learner not being taught in place of developing their skills in technology?  What are some greater consequences of such an early adoption of devices in the classroom?  I will admit, I am a strong advocate of technology in the classroom and believe we need to keep working towards greater accessibility within our classroom walls but I continue to be wary of any unintended consequences such adoption will have on our student’s general well-being, ability to learn and, overall social development.

The first computer we had was a Commodore128 (not the 64 – this was TWICE as good – don’t ask me why!) which we used almost exclusively for games.  Centipede, Alien Invasion, and SkiRun were favourites for those who remember… but my favourite was a football game.  I played it every chance I got, but one day it didn’t work, instead an error message popped up saying “there is water in the hard drive, press D to drain”.  After pressing D there was a gurgling noise, and another message “failure to drain, please contact company for help”.  My first emergency response was to go to my oldest brother (our “expert” on the computer) only to have him almost bust his gut laughing – he had changed the file name and programmed those messages.  That was when I first realized computers could be programmed by regular people, but I think I also decided then that it wasn’t for me.  I have always relied on others to help with computers problems, beginning with my oldest brother.  It is only since I started MET that I have begun to realize that I can manipulate technology too!

My earliest memory of using digital technology is the first time we got a computer. My dad brought home this big TV looking thing and I had so many questions about what it was and what it did. I remember the dial-up tone and how we were told that we could not use the computer and the phone at the same time; I remember asking “but what does the phone have to do with this computer”? It was such an exciting day, week, and month to be able to use the computer and find information and to “talk” with my friends even though we were in different places. This event raises so many questions about the future of technology and in what ways it is going to be evolve and what those moments may look like.

I have played quite a lot of video game in my childhood. One which is memorable, it is a tile-matching puzzle game called “Tetris”. I got my first handheld Tetris game in 1990.

I don’t remember being a fan of puzzle by then. However, when I started playing this game. I loved the rewards in the form of bonus points and the destruction’s special effects when a set of tiles were well organized. Every time I was playing this game, I always felt that I was becoming a better player. Once I reached a level in the game, the next time I will reach the same level or end on a level above. What fascinated me most in this game was my ability to see how I was becoming skilful. I played the tetris game till I reached the point where nine times out of ten, I will complete all the levels of the game. This is when I stopped playing. I was just doing it occasionally mostly when I wanted to show off.

By reflecting on this experience, I wish I could create a Calculus game that will have the same effect on my students.

My earliest memory of technology takes me back to about the fifth grade.  We had a large computer lab adjacent to the library filled with large, bulky Macintosh computers.  Our assignments back then (as related to technology) were to create “good copies” of our written assignments.  I can still recall the doors opening and each of us running for the “new” computers that allowed your mouse to click and edit any part of the assignment.  Those forced to use the “older” computers, immediately became anxious as the only way to edit was the delete all of the following characters.  Once we finished our written assignment, we would spend the remaining time working through All the Right Type; if we were really lucky, we would play Snake.

Shayla

One of my earliest memories of interacting with a computer was the summer of 1991. My mother had arranged for  me to go to a summer camp that focused on science and technology. There was one game in particular, Oregon Trail, that I was so thrilled to play. I could hardly wait for the afternoon portion of the camp where they would allow us to play on the game on the computer. This was over 20 years ago and the memory is still vivid. Why has this event stuck with me after all these years? Was it the simplicity of the  game and the technology back then or was it that this was my first time playing on a computer?

In grade 7 I remember our school getting a new computer lab full of  these brand new green and grey mac computers – it was all very exciting! We seemed to be doing a lot of All the Right Type and using the Paint program. One additional program we used really had an impact on me.

We had discussions about internet safety and giving personal details out online. Then, we played this game called Missing. I had to Google the game to retrieve all the details but, it seems you follow the story of a boy named Zack who meets a man, Fantasma, online. Fantasma and Zack meet up and Fantasma ends up taking Zach. Then, the student plays the game and works with a detective to rescue Zach. What really stands out in my memory is that I failed the mission and didn’t save Zack! It was very scary for me to think about! And then, as we often do in schools, we moved on and I never felt like it was discussed further or I didn’t have the opportunity to have another go.

This story makes me think about the issues around internet safety and how they are still present today. However, in addition to being safe online, there are so many other things we must think about as educators – for example, teaching our students to be good digital citizens and the impact of social media on them. Do you think that one of these issues is more important than the other? What should we be discussing with young children and what should we be saving for later?  These are just a couple of the current questions I’m thinking about.