I am the youngest of five, and the sibling closest in age to myself is nearly 12 years older. Thus, when I was growing up, most of my siblings were in high school and college. At this time computers where just gaining popularity, but we did not have one, as my parents were paying for many tuition's. We did have a TV, a VCR, and a rotary phone, so we certainly had some technology, but it took us awhile to catch-up in terms of having the latest gadgets. In addition, because of all the people in the house, it was difficult to use any of this technology. Personally, I remember having a walkman to listen to the radio, and eventually a discman to listen to CD'S. I remember taking this with me when in high school, on the bus headed to an athletic event. (I thought I was so cool!)

My earliest memories of using technology in terms of a computer was when we had a word processor, that was without a delete button, so making a mistake was a nightmare! Many a night in middle school were spent typing a paper on that lousy machine. Finally, upon entering high school we got a simple, but workable computer, and I basically just used it to type papers for school, as I am not the most technological person. I was in high school in the first part of the 2000's, thus doing all your research online was still a relatively newer idea, we still did a lot of research and note taking in the school library, then just typed our assignments at home. It wasn't until college that I got my own computer (a laptop) and that I learned how to research information.

I am still not overly comfortable with technology, as I feel as it is evolving at such a rapid pace, that it is hard to keep up with it. Once you learn something new, it has changed once again. Being in the field of education though, I do feel as if it is important to as least have some sort of grasp of newer developments, because you might have to use them at some point. (such as Smartboards) Now many schools also seem to be getting IPADS, and with that, we as teachers need to be aware of effective APPS that could benefit students. I am eager to learn about this newer technology and how I can apply it to the present day classroom.

Through my experiences in college and graduate school I do feel as if I have become a better researcher, and now know how to use many programs that I didn't before. I can confidently use Powerpoint, social media, and Word. I now have a smartphone, which I can operate without too many issues, as well as having an IPOD. I still need to consult family and friends at times regarding this newer technology, but I’m not doing too bad! My parents have also gotten a flat screen TV, and cell phones of their own! We are certainly becoming a family of the 21st century!