During my interview to this AWC staff member.I found out some interesting opinions about the use of technology in campus. My first question was, what kind of problems do you face every day with students and technology? The answer was, “Personally I really enjoy that students are involve in technology because it is a good educational tool. There are some problems that I had faced it when I deal with students and social networking pages. We work at the student success center, and we are here to help students to success in their classes, but when somebody is here and instead do homework  starts chatting on Facebook that make me upset, because somebody else really needs use a computer and not these kind of persons. That’s why social network sites are not allow here.”

            My second question was, “what kinds of advantages has technology in college life?

The answer was. “There are a bunch of advantages of tech in a student life, such as, online classes. Some students come over here to do an online workshop which is fantastic because might the they live far from campus, and they only need come here once a week in order to done their class. I also notice that there are some students that use webcams and headsets microphones to perform some classes. I believe that kind of classes are the future of online courses because you are able to speak, heard and watch what other classmates are doing, or saying.”

             

            My last question was, when technology is a disadvantage for students? The answer was, “I believe that if tech is not used correctly it will harm the student in the end. Technology issues these days are more about distraction. I notice that some students are multi-tasking while their doing homework which results in non-focus on a specific point. I also believe that tech can help students to cheat more easily than time ago. Now they can copy entire papers or essays from someone else in few seconds, and take the credit for them, that’s just sad."

A regular tech day

            A typical day in my life is much related with technology. Since wake up by the alarm of my phone, I start using tech the whole day. On my way to college I plug my phone into my stereo, and I start sending text massages. Before I get into my first class, I check Facebook status, and keep checking it the whole class. I found out that I check my Facebook status about 30 per day. Even when I’m working, I keep doing it. After school I just get home, and turn on my computer. The very first thing that I do is log in at Facebook, blackboard, and open a YouTube page. It is funny because even when I use a computer, I use my phone at the same time.

            When I get at job technology is present, and one of the good things that I love from my job is that phones are allow. That’s wonderful because when I get a free time I can use my phone to send some texts. During the work period I use a lot strange technological devices in order to improve my job and give a better customer service.

            Honestly technology is attached to me the entire day. I don’t what I can do without tech, but I found out some little thing that are not liking me no more. I spend too much time at my phone and that’s not sane. I don’t pay fully attention in something because I’m waiting for the next text massage alert in my phone. That is frustrating me. Definitely technology is harming my student life. I think this is because I don’t a control over it, and I abuse of tech kind of often. But don’t blame, with this new technology (especially smartphones) you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. There some apps which goes from excellent graphic video games, to really smart personal assistants. I believe that technology is making us some things easier, but definitely we are losing the control of it. We have to spend reasonable times when we use tech, because is really easy to become addicted to it. 

Smartphones are the Swiss Army knifes of this century

Funny but it is true.

            During a day of observation I noticed that 70% of the students inside and outside of the classrooms uses their cellphone. Many of them are social networking and other are just sending text messages.  Around the college you can see a bunch of people walking while they send txt massages, totally unplugs from the world. When I entered at the lab store nobody was in a social network page, but I could see that many students were using their phones and computers at the same time. I found out that social networking pages are not allow at computer lab, so students use their phones to check their Facebook accounts while their use a computer to do homework. When I got into the library I found out almost the same case as computer lab, some students only go here to have a comfortable place to use their phone and do a little of homework.

            Inside the classroom most of the students pay attention to the teacher only 4 or 5 uses their phones. Honestly I include my-self, it is really hard don’t check my Facebook status while I’m in class. After class when students got out of the classroom, some of they start talking each other and discuss about the class and homework. The other part of students immediately take their phones out when the class is over. An intersecting fact that I found out is that some students are interacting face to face, and at the same time they are sending text messages or updating Facebook. 

One of the dangerous of being distracted with the phone while you are walking

interviewing a fellow student

After conduct several interviews I found out some really interesting information. My fellow’s students have strong opinions about technology. This was one of the most interesting/

I started with the last post question. Do you think that technology is causing us to lose more than we gain? He answered this “I believe that technology only has advantages, that it’s priority, make us life easier. I also believe that tech only can hurt us as much as we want. This means that we are the ones who has the control over tech, and as long as we don’t lose that control everything is going to be right.”

My second question was, in which ways do you use technology? The answer was “I use technology in many aspects of my life. I use tech to communicate with friends, and family who is far away, or out of the country. I also use technology in my job, I work at a customer service company, and we spend almost the whole day helping customers to fix their problems by phone. Tech is also a good educational tool for me because this semester I’m taking 2 online courses, which is very helpful for a full-time student.”

Do you think that technology is harmful or beneficial for college students? When I asked this question, he thought more in give an answer than the other times, and finally responded “Like I said in the other question, tech only harms if you let its hurt you, or if you do a negligent use of it. In college life if you get focus, and don’t get distrait on your phone or Facebook page you will be alright. Honestly in college technology only has advantages, since take online courses, until pick you next semester classes. The use of data bases is really helpful while you do an investigative homework.”

My last question was this, do you have any experience where technology harm you? He answered “Honestly I do, it was a time when I was getting late to work, and I left home and drove fast to the city. While I was driving, I also was texting with my girlfriend. I couldn’t notice the car in front of me stopped, and I hit it. That mistake cost me around 1500 dollars, but fortunately nobody was hurt.  I really learned the lesson.”

Is Tech causing me to lose as much as I gain ?

                              Is technology causing me to lose as much as I gain?

            These days technology can be a two edge sword. The good harming of tech has many benefits, but if it is not used appropriately would be dangerous. One advantage for students is that they can make really good research investigation even without leaving home. The disadvantage of this is that many students just copy and paste the information. Classrooms presents one the results of abuse of technology, IF we pay attention around the classroom we notice that more than the 45% of the students are using an electronic device,  they don’t pay attention in class for being updating their Facebook status. Don’t get me wrong, technology has been an important tool in the human development. Since WW2 humans have been improving technology in leaps and bounds. The good thing about technology is that, is applicable in almost everything from a military missile to an electronic cigarette.

            Honestly I’m having issues with technology. I starting to don’t pay attention in some things, and is more hard to get focus in one task when my phone is around me. I’m not trying to take off my responsibilities, but it is hard, even writing this I’m jumping to web page to web page. I also can say that technology is harming our kids, my 8 year-old and 5 year-old nephews are serious addicted to call of duty games.  They usually spend more than 5 hours per day playing that game, that’s a lot considering their ages.

            In respond to the question from the tittle, I would answer yes. In my case I only use technology for communicate and do homework, but it affecting seriously my capacity to get focus. Definitely I’m losing more than I gain.

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Reports shows that more than 70 text messages are send it in one day per person.

An image says a more than thousands words. The absolutely true.

kids around 8-17 years-old spend more than 7 hours per day playing video games.

This is video shows how social networking pages can affect a family relationship.

A little bid about me.

Hello everybody, my name is Jose Ceballos. I’m a college student at AWC. I’m majoring administration of justice, but I’m thinking on change it to business administration. I really like everything related with law enforcement, but I would like to have my own business. Honestly I not exactly a sports man, actually I like more non regular sports, such as, snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing and stuff like that . A typical day for me is just, go to college, job, do homework and spend the rest of the time behind a computer. Technology but specifically social network plays an important role in my life. I live kind of far from my friends and family, and the only way to communicate with them is with a social network page. Other technology device which play an important part in my life is my cell phone. My phone has saved my life several times because I’m relative new in the city and the GPS in the phone has helped me a lot finding places or addresses. My job isn’t acquitted from using technology devices. I work at an electronics store, and we use some software and others devices to upgrade or activate phones. Even at college technology is present. A simple sample of Tech is the interactive boards in classroom, it was new for me because we don’t have that kind of devices where I come from. Definitely it improves the learning environment, and makes the class more enjoyable.