My Intro and Journey with Technology

 

Personal photo of me being candid

Hello! My name is Jennifer Leon, and I am currently a special education teacher at a charter high school in Chicago. My background includes 18 years of certified teaching, which include 13 in special education and 5 in general education. Furthermore, I've worked as a nanny, a one-to-one teaching assistant, and a part-time ESL instructor for adults of all ages. As far education goes, I consider myself a "Jane of All Trades."

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My relationship with technology has definitely been an "ebb and flow" beginning with my first use of a landline telephone at an age I don't recall and picking back up with my first use of a PC in 1985. As a 5th grader in the previously mentioned year, I enjoyed playing "Oregon Trail" and nothing more. I didn't use another PC until 1992 when I was determined to apply my rudimentary typing skills to begin producing my own finished essays; previously, my mother had begrudgingly typed them from our electric typewriter, often at odd hours of the night. Yikes! 😓 

Three years later, moving on from a 2-megabyte Dos-operated computer to a PC with Windows 95 seemed groundbreaking. I could do multiple tasks, search this thing called the Internet, and type on a simulated paper document in Microsoft Word. For me, all of this felt revolutionary! It was followed up by using my first community platform, known as ISCA bbs in 1995. For the first time, I could communicate with anyone in the world just by using a command system known as "telnet." Almost 30 years later I still have friends that I keep in touch with from this archaic online program!

Moving forward into the millennium, I became a patron of AOL, YouTube, a few dating sites (which I'd like to forget) and eventually, MySpace and Facebook. Sometime in the middle of 2010s, my allure with the Internet began to decline when I noticed that I rarely networked with people in person anymore. I've barely dabbled with Snapchat, Instagram, and have yet to use TikTok. My interest in technology has waned so much that sometimes I don't want to use my SmartPhone and I have yet to really explore my new-ish personal laptop, sublimation printer, or Canva - all of which I would love to scan and print my illustrations. 

Perhaps my greatest learning curve of technology will be integrating more of it into my special education teaching practices. There are a wide array of adaptive technologies, which include text-to-speech, co-writing tools, alternative keyboards, screen readers and SO much more. I will discuss more of these tools in detail in future posts, but a good place to begin learning more would be GPAT.

The barriers to education become less when a student has his/her needs met.

                             Dixson, Crystal and Naila Bairamova. "Barriers to Learning Adapted from "The  Forgotten 90%: Adult Nonparticipation in Education." EdTech Center @World Education, 2019, https://edtech.worlded.org/barriers-to-learning-part-2/. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Comments

  1. NMZumpanoMay 9, 2024 at 6:13 AM

    Thanks for the walk down memory lane with technology, Jennifer. I can relate! One of technology's greatest gift is the equity it brings via assisting those with disadvantages. I look forward to hearing your perspective this summer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Diego E. TapiaMay 9, 2024 at 5:23 PM

    Hello Jennifer,

    Thank you for sharing your extensive and varied journey with technology. Your experience, from the early days of DOS-based PCs to the multifunctionality of modern devices, truly encapsulates the rapid evolution of tech over the past few decades. What stood out to me was your shift from the excitement of groundbreaking technology to a more cautious engagement in recent years.
    Your current focus on integrating technology into special education is particularly inspiring. Adaptive technologies have the potential to significantly enhance learning experiences for students with special needs, making education more accessible and tailored to individual requirements. I'm curious to know if you have found any specific adaptive technologies or tools that have been particularly effective in your teaching practices so far. Also, considering your interest in minimizing screen time, how do you balance the use of digital tools in your teaching with the need to maintain personal interactions with your students?
    I'm looking forward to hearing more about your insights and experiences with adaptive technologies in future posts!

    ReplyDelete

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