Technology Autobiography

Technology has not only changed the way we perceive the world, but, also, how we interact with the world। It has reduced the communication chasm that exists between individuals in distant lands, as well as, with the group around the corner.

As I reflect, my experience with technology has been vast। I have used technology as a student, an instructor, an employee, and even as a business owner. I have used technology for video-conferences, to take on-line courses, to make presentations, for business meetings, and in my personal life.

As the Associate Director of Distance Learning-Extension Programs at North Carolina A&T State University, technology was vitally important to the success of our program। Technology allowed us to offer instruction to students at a distance; in particular, non-traditional students. Via video-conferencing, we offered courses in adult education, engineering, and elementary education to students across the state of North Carolina. Video-conferencing significantly reduced the chasm, referred to as “transactional distance,” because it allowed the students to interact without having to drive to our campus from other cities across the state or having the instructors drive to sites off campus in the cities where these students were living.

As the Interim Associate Director of North Carolina Health Careers Access Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, we used video-conferencing to connect students majoring in the health care fields from Elizabeth City State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, and Pembroke State University with students majoring in health care of some sort at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill। This course was a special course offered in the Allied Health Sciences through a grant awarded by AHEC. Offering this course in this manner allowed the students at predominantly minority institutions to experience and students at a predominantly white university experience instructions synchronously.

I have also experienced the use of technology while taking courses online। In 2000, I participated in an online certification course that was offered by the University of Indiana. This course was designed to certify distance education professionals within the field of distance learning. The course was designed with a series of modules to complete over a designated length of time. Unlike videoconferencing, this mode of instruction was asynchronous.

Currently, I am taking a course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that has embedded the use of Blackboard within the traditional classroom setting। Blackboard is used to post assignments for completion, discussions, post completed assignments for peer review, among others. Blackboard facilitates communication with classmates as well as with the instructor.

I have used technology to make numerous presentations in courses I have taken over my academic career as well as at work। I used PowerPoint to facilitate presentations. PowerPoint allowed me to flush out key points and aspects that I wanted to bring to the attention of the audiences that I encountered. Additionally, it allowed me to keep the audiences’ attention by making reference to specific items displayed on the screen. PowerPoint also has allowed me to reduce the amount the information covered in a presentation. This use of PowerPoint was beneficial, because allowed for efficient use of presentation time.

I have used technology to research information on the Internet। I have used search engines such as Yahoo, Google, Jstor, and others to research journal articles, special areas of interest, even, individual researchers and universities. These search engines have reduced the distance between the student/researcher and the library. Using such search engines has proven to be a effective and efficient use of time.

I have used technology in business as well। Currently, operate a home-based networking business. The name of the company with whom I am affiliated is named 1Voice Worldwide. As its name suggests, it is a company that operates globally. Therefore, technology is required to share information with the many individuals who represent this company. The Internet is used to share messages across the company, post personal data, monitor production levels, as well as introduce new products. Further, the Internet is used to offer online presentations of the company for individuals who are considering the option of generating additional streams of income. Technology also is used to connect individuals via teleconference calls. This use of technology allows thousands of individuals to communicate with each other from the comfort of their homes.

Finally, I have used technology in my personal life। I have used digital cameras to capture images and record various experiences for future memories. I also have used technology for dating purposes by subscribing to several online dating platforms. I have used a web-cam to communicate with friends out-of-town and in some cases out-of-state. Web-cams allow you to see and talk to a person at the same time without them being in your immediate presence. I also have used technology to scan images to my computer that ordinarily could not be saved to a computer.

As I stated earlier, my experiences with technology have been vast. There are probably other experiences I have had using technology, but have failed to remember at this moment. However, there is much more technology, some I am aware of and others I am not, that I have not experienced. I look forward to learning more about them throughout this course.