Faculty Interview

"Robot Teachers?"

So for my faulty interview I decided to interview some who not deals with college students all day but with high school students as well.  I interviewed Ms. Madrigal or Liz as everyone calls her is a coordinator for the Upward Bound program based at Arizona Western College.  The Upward Bound program is a federally funded program to help students graduate from high school and continue on to college and complete a 4-year college degree.  As a coordinator Liz helps student make the transition from high school to college and everything in between.  In this interview I asked Liz a series of questions regarding technology.  For example, what her stand on technology is, if she believes if technology is more harmful or beneficial to students, what are some problems she has encountered when it came to students and technology and how much she personally uses technology in her life.  When I asked Liz what her stands on technology in general was she responded that “technology can be both helpful and harmful given the situation”.  She said that it could be beneficial if used properly in any circumstances but harmful if used just for fun or to get something done faster.  For example, it can be harmful in banks because people are relying too much on a computer or a calculator to do basic simply math that they learned in grade school over just doing it the old fashion way.  Liz had a lot to say when it came to explaining some of the problems that she encounters almost every day when it comes to students and technology. She said that students have become social media smart but when it comes to being able to writing a paper in MLA format they don’t know how.  She also said that students spend so much time using and playing on their technology device but they never learn how to maintain it or fit it something were to go wrong.

Liz!
I took this picture.

Technology obessed... Me??? Nooo!

So last Monday, I did what I believed to be the most impossible task to accomplish, and that was to be fully aware and keep track of when I used technology, how I used it, where I used it, and what type of technology I used for an entire day.  During my observation I found that throughout the duration of my school day I only used three different types of technology that allowed me to stay connected to the internet no matter where I was on campus whether it was my smart phone, my Kindle Fire or a computer from campus. I must admit that after counting up to forty-five I lost count of how many times I pulled out my cell phone to just look to see what time it was. Even if I had just looked at the time a minute ago.  I also caught myself pulling out my Kindle during class to read from a book not class related, checking my Facebook account or just to look something up and give to a curious thought.  I used a computer to do homework for my classes, check my email accounts, social media accounts, and be on YouTube or Instant Messaging with friends. What surprised me the most about the results of my observations was the fact that I spent most of my time on distractions and not being focused on what I needed to get done, than working to finish my assignments in order to pass my classes.  It was surprising because I believed that I had a better control on how much time I spent using technology.  Ultimately I think that my use of technology was overall harmful because I allow myself to get easily distracted and end up losing time that I could have spent on doing more productive things.

1a.m. and I'm still on Facebook.

Spying... xD

Distractions!!!

The Fountain Lady

Okay so today I spent most of my day walking around campus observing and collecting information on how much Arizona Western College students use technology, when, where, and why they use it.  While in one of my classes I found that the students were blatantly open about using their technology.  They didn’t try to hide their phones when they would text or even ignore a call because they would just get up, walk out of class, several times throughout the class period, and take the calls.  But I believe that the reason why the students didn’t at least make an effort to try and hide their use of technology in class was that because the professor himself did not care that his student ignored his lecture and were in their own little technological world.  The professor did not care if the students took out their phones out right in front of him and started texting; he just continued with his lecture.  In between classes I noticed that when people did interact with others face-to-facet they did pay attention to the other person up until the point when their phone would buzz or ring.  Then they would stop what they were doing and look down at their phone even if they were talking to a person and were in mid-sentence.  Because I was done with my classes and what I had to do for the day I decided to take a quick walk through one of the computer lab on campus.  I was surprised to find out that almost every single person that was using a computer did abide but the rules of the computer lab and only worked or looked at school related things.

"No Gaming Signs" I took the picture.

 

 

Conversation?  I took this picture.

Student Interview

My friend Vere.
I took this picture.



I recently interviewed a friend of mine, Verenice, on her opinion of the harm and benefits that technology can play in a person’s life.  Verenice is a freshman this year at Arizona Western College.  While at AWC she plans to earn her associates in Business then transfer to either Arizona State University or the University of Arizona to continue her education to earn a bachelors degree in her field of study.  In my interview I asked her three questions regarding her opinion on technology, her own personal use of technology and if she believes is hurts or helps fellow college students.  Her response was that she over all believed that technology is beneficial for students in college.  When I asked her of her own personal use regarding technology she stated that she only used technological devices when it was needed.  For example, she would only go online to do homework for a class or email one of her professors, to research something for an assignment or even to communicate with a friend or family member because she didn’t see them.  The last question I asked her was “Do you think that technology is either ultimately harmful or beneficial for college students?”  She responded was a split decision because she said that she has been witnessed to both the harm and benefits of technology.  She said that technology can be harmful for students because people can get to attached with all social networks and then end up relying too much on technology to help them do simple things like help the remember their moms cell phone number; but it’s beneficial at the same time because a little help from technology doesn’t hurt especially for a college student.

"Reminder Alerts"

Samuel Jackson iPhone 4S/Siri Commercial

Lost or gain?

Is technology causing me to lose as much as I gain?  In all honesty there are times when I do believe that technology causes me to lose more than what I gain.  But over all I feel like I do limit myself and know myself well enough to know when I need to take a break from technology and just refocus and ask myself questions like “is Facebook really going to help finish this essay so I can pass my class?”  As a student I think that technology can cause me to not only lose time but focus as well.  For example I sometimes lose focus when I say that I’m going to go online real quick to look something up for a homework assignment or just because.  But once I’m on I end up checking my social media accounts, look up other things, or even playing games online and completely forgetting about what I had gotten online for to look up in the first place.  Causing me to completely lose track of time and end up where I started not having completed anything.  Nevertheless technology can also be beneficial for a college student because it can prove you with faster and consistent ways can help you get things done.  For example, most classes now and days have students go online for one reason or another whether it is doing homework on Blackboard, researching a topic for a paper or even creating a blog for a project; without having technology available to us, students would end up failing their classes.

Rejected by 7 Different Types of Technology

Clip from the movie "He's Just Not That Into You"

This Is Me.



Me and My Boyfriend (in the Back)
LOL! jkjk =P

Outgoing. Patient. Loud. Respectful. Friendly.  These are just some words that come to mind that I believe describe me.  I love to hang out with friends, dance, and go to the movies, text, read, listen to music and a bunch of other stuff that I know I’m forgetting. Lol.  But apart from being like every other young adult who likes to go out and have fun, I work and attend school both full time.  Growing up in my family, going to college for me was never an option it was an obligation.  Everyone who knew me including myself knew that I would go on to graduate high school in the top ranks of my class and go to college to do just as well.  So it came as no surprise to anyone that I am the first in my family to go to college.  I am in my second year at Arizona Western College where I am studying for my major in Psychology with a minor in Political Science.  After I have earned my associates degree at AWC I plan to transfer to the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona to get my bachelor’s degree.  As a student I constantly have to use technology.  Whether it is for my online class, which is all done through Blackboard, or for one of my other three classes that I attend class for regularly, in person.  At work I am a computer and the phone all day long.  Using multiple programs on the computer at once and talking to hundreds of people within the six to seven hour shift I work.  But as a person, who is not at school, doing homework, or at work and is just at home relaxing or out having a good time with friends I find myself only using technology when I get a text or email on my phone and laptop, am reading on my Kindle Fire, or just checking my phone to see what time it is.