My name is Michael Picarella and I'm an English (ESM) major in my senior year. I’m currently on track to graduate in the spring of 2025, the same time my 21-year-old son is set to graduate.
I think media technology should very much play a role in teaching today because it's the way of the current world and the future world. We are only setting our students up for failure by not introducing them to and familiarizing them with these tools, whether at the grade-school level or college level. I liken the media technology and learning it to my own father’s experience with it, or rather his lack of experience with it. He worked as an engineer for Rocketdyne for 42 years, spending many of his years as an engineer in the space shuttle program. When he retired in 2003, he told himself and everyone around him that he’d never use a computer again. To this day he still does not have a smartphone. However, he has since had to buy a new TV, and new TVs are all smart TVs. Because he has allowed technology to evolve around him, the simple task of creating an online account to get apps and channels on his TV is a complete mystery to him and quite the frustrating process. Just creating a username and password is a frustrating process that makes him want to give up. And he was an engineer!
I see this same problem occurring with students if we do not give them the tools necessary to adapt to an ever changing technological world. We as teachers should strive to equip our students with as many tools as possible to better succeed in society.
As for any particular effective or ineffective uses of media technology that I’ve personally experienced, I do find downloading numerous applications on my electronic devices to be quite taxing. However, in the work world, I experience those same frustrations. In other words, any and all tools we can give students to prepare for the world that’s out there ahead of them should always be welcomed, regardless of how taxing and frustrating it might be. My son is very familiar with much media technology. He went through grade school learning so much of it. I’ve had to catch up, as I went through grade school in the 1980s and ‘90s without any of this stuff. Indeed, we should strive to keep those we bring up ahead of the curve.
