Hunting for a Needle in a Haystack

Have you ever lost your birth certificate and had no way to recover it? Well, I have.  About 10 years ago I wanted to get a passport but I needed my birth certificate as a source of identity verification. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it. I looked everywhere, but it was nowhere to be found. I immediately began to panic.

After I had called my husband in tears, he calmed me down and urged me to get online and google what to do. After stumbling my way through the internet, I figured out that I had to get in contact with the hospital that I was born in. This would have been easy except for the fact that I was born in a different country on a military base. Armed with that information I called my mom and asked her the name of the military base where I was born.

My mother was very helpful in giving me the name of the base and even told me the name of the hospital. I was ecstatic! I immediately got back online to find the hospital. It took me a few tries because the hospital name was common.  I finally found the hospital and the number and called right away. After being shuffled around for 15 minutes, I was connected with the records department. The lady was very helpful and told me that she could mail it to me for a fee. About a month later, I had my passport in my hands.

Looking back on the incident, I realized that it would have been easier if the passport could have been transferred electronically. I spent a good amount of money getting that birth certificate. The cost of the international phone call and the mail cost were expensive. But what choices did I have? There should be a system in place for former military families. Something to get the information that they need without it being so expensive. It would have been great to be able to go to a government website submit my information and get my birth certificates mailed to me.

My Technology Integration Level

                 Today’s technology level in schools is much more advanced than when I was in school. When I was a student in elementary school, the only access to technology that I had was to watch videos on a TV or projectors, or a once month trip to the computer lab in.  I loved those days because I was really intrigued by computers and all manners of technology. At home, we had an Apple computer but we were not allowed to use it because it was just for my parents. They used it for work and it was very basic.  When I got to junior high school, we had a full semester in the computer lab. Unfortunately, we might have used the computer 10 times the whole semester.  We spent most of our time spent in class taking notes and learning about computers.

            It was not until I was in high school that I actually spent a lot of time on a computer. My teachers required that our papers be typed. Therefore, I spent a lot of time on our home computer as well as the computers in the school library. I also played games on our home computer such as Where in the World is Carmen San Diego, Oregon Trail, and Jeopardy. We did not have the internet so I knew nothing about getting online.

            Now that I am an adult, I have made it my goal to learn as much as I can about computers and other new technology. I have to admit that my knowledge is basic. I just learned how to use PowerPoint because of the class that I am currently taking. I know that I need to find out more if I want to be a librarian. My basic knowledge will not cut it in that tech-driven career.

            I think that my biggest challenge becoming a librarian would be acclimating myself to tech tools that I have never used before.  I admit that my research skills have vastly improved, but I am still leery of some of the technology that I will have to use on a daily basis.  I would have to have extensive knowledge of how to use databases, enough computer knowledge to help patrons use computers, not to mention knowing how to use the many different tools that they use to take care of books, audio, and visual material.  That can be very daunting to a person at my skill level. I hope that my peers will help me to learn the different tools correctly.

            Being a librarian is a lot of hard work and it challenges the mind.  I am looking forward to the challenge and the chance to learn new things.  My desire to learn is my biggest asset going into this new career and I will use it to my every advantage. What I do not know I will ask my coworkers to teach me or do what I do now, research how to do it. I am confident that my desire to be a librarian and to learn will help me succeed in this career field. 

Reflecting on Schools and Technology

What skills will students need to succeed in this ever-changing technological world? They will require collaboration, communication, creativity, and divergent thinking. Technology can help build these skills. Students are already exposed to technology every day. They use smartphones, tablets, laptops, video game consoles, and more. So why not bring technology into the classrooms to help enhance learning?I’m not just talking about having students type up a report using Word Processor. In addition to that, also using interactive learning tools such as Youtube. Using digital tools in schools help students bridge the gap between what they are learning and what they are retaining. Which as educators should be our ultimate goals.

           

 “In a 2000 report, a team from SRI International identified four ways that technology enhances how children learn: It offers active engagement, the opportunity to participate in groups, frequent interaction, and feedback, and connections to real-world contexts. Technology also expands what students can learn by providing them with access to an ever-expanding store of information.” (Boss, S., 2011)

           

          

Students can use social media such as Twitter to connect with other classrooms around the world. Classroom tools such as interactive whiteboards, digital video cameras, and Web 2.0 tools keeps students engaged and make learning fun and exciting. Studies have shown that educational technology builds multiple skills in students. 

          “Research scientist Harold Wenglinsky, looking at math achievement scores in a 1998 Educational Testing Service study (3), found positive benefits for educational technology, as long it was used for challenging activities such as simulations. Using computers to drill students on fundamental skills, in comparison, had an adverse impact on achievement. Researchers have determined that, when used for more ambitious learning goals rather than basic skills, technology can help students develop higher-order thinking skills, creativity, and research abilities.” (Boss, S., 2011)

  

           

Why not use platforms and tools that students are already using to teach them new and exciting things? In my own experiences with teaching my children, I found that using textbooks became boring rather fast. They would get distracted easily and not remember what they had learned. One particular math lesson was really challenging for them. No matter how I described the concept to them, they just weren’t getting it.  I decided to use Google to find a better teaching method. To my surprise, I found a cartoon teaching the concept. They watched the video and to my utter amazement they actually got it! I was so happy.  I used videos, games, and audio read along books.  I knew from that moment that my teaching style had changed. And you know what, I am glad it did.

References

Boss, S. (2011). Technology integration: A short history. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-history