On Technology

In elementary school, I was most likely known for the vast and varied amount of office supplies I carried in my overweight backpack. If you needed a stapler, you’d know to ask the girl with the uncontrollable frizzy curls. In college, I may not even have remembered to pack a pen, but I never went anywhere without my MacBook, whose name was Felix, of course. I even carried around a Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, which became a hot commodity amongst teaching assistants and professors.

My father constructed my first computer from scratch. I guess I should have expected to inherit his ease with and reliance on technology along with his tendency for sweets. As a child, I spent hours playing computer games, most notably, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? I was fortunate to experience and learn how to use computers from a young age. Most of my knowledge came from watching my father work on his computer. When the computer malfunctioned, my father would fix it, and I would watch. Soon, I began troubleshooting on my own. I can solve most technological problems on my own or with the help of a Google search on the issue. Learning how to use technology effectively results from a combination of experimentation, trial and error learning, and direct instruction. It amazes me that children, even babies, can learn to use iPhones just by watching their parents. My cousin’s 1-year-old son knows how to unlock my phone and swipe his finger across the screen to view a photo stream. Most devices are made to be user friendly but others require a tutorial.

You know you are dependent on technology when you start naming your various devices. I cannot go anywhere without my iPhone, Jack. Not only does it keep me connected to the important people in my life but it also organizes and directs most aspects of my life. My schedule tells me where I need to be and my reminder application tells me what I should be doing. Dropbox gives me access to all my files for school, so that I really have no excuse when it comes to staying on top of assignments. My MTA application allows me to plan how I get around the city and tells me exactly how long my trips will take. Various applications allow me to waste time and be entertained when I can’t fall asleep at night. A Nike application syncs to my shoes, which congratulate me at the end of my workouts. Perhaps the most important aspect is portable music.

Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears- it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more- it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.

     -Oliver Sacks

I have various playlists for different times of the day, moods, and activities. Listening to certain songs on route to class or student teaching can help set the proper tone for the task at hand. I guess you can say I maximize the use of all my devices, with my iPhone being the most important. Now if only someone could find a way to make batteries last forever.

I am in my final semester as a graduate student at Teachers College Columbia University working towards a degree in Intellectual Disability/Autism. I earned my BA in Psychology from NYU, and I have always been passionate about the mental health and development of children. This last semester will decide whether I plan to pursue a career in the special education field or apply to a PhD program in clinical psychology. I am excited to be taking Computer Applications in Special Education. I’ve had the pleasure to observe many different special education classrooms that use technology as educational tools. I have seen students use an iPad Augmentative and Alternative Communication application called Proloquo to communicate. I have seen students light up at the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of counting money in an interactive SMART Board designed lesson. Technology is a powerful tool for students with disabilities that allows them to access the curriculum, communicate, and learn in ways that are not always possible through traditional means. I look forward to learn to successfully navigate the many technological advancements I will be exposed to and apply this knowledge in whatever I choose to do in the future.

On a completely unrelated note, I will now tell you my thoughts on the topic of problem solving.

According Martinez, “problem solving is the process of moving toward a goal when the path to that goal is uncertain.” My greatest challenge to engaging in problem solving is anxiety and fear of uncertainty or failure. If the path is unclear, I often decide not to embark on it at all. Avoidance and procrastination become my solution. 
American culture exalts not only perfection but efficiency. We are expected and taught to be independent and to accomplish our goals in the least amount of time possible spending the least amount of resources. This doesn’t allow much room for error. “Everyone makes mistakes” does not imply that mistakes are useful in the problem solving process—just that you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Instead teachers and parents should say that mistakes are a necessary part of learning or expect to make mistakes and learn from them. Unfortunately most schools, do not have the luxury of time, and I feel that teaching problem solving and allowing students to fail and learn from their mistakes is a time consuming process.