“Fish Out of Water”

            Asking me to explain how technology has affected my education would be similar to asking an oceanic creature how water has had an effect on their ability to live.  Literally every single aspect of my college education (well, since returning after a 12 year “break”) has been completed via computer.  Every single class that I have taken has been online.  Originally this was merely for scheduling convenience because I have two children.  One was in school, and one that was not yet school aged.  I needed extreme flexibility in my schedule.  This has now changed; it is still about convenience, but in a different way.  Now the convenience is location.  We have moved and live almost on the Idaho border.  This isn’t an insurmountable distance, but it would definitely be a time and financial drain to be required to travel the 100 miles round trip several times a week to attend school.

The ability to go to school on my time is completely incredible.  I am able to make my schedule work around putting kids on the bus, work, cooking, cleaning, kid’s homework, bedtime, etc.  I am absolutely, one hundred percent positive that my return to college would not have been even the slightest bit possible without computers. 

Class schedules, assignments, due dates, and syllabus are all related to me via the internet by connecting to Weber State’s website.  I complete, and submit assignments online, and receive my grades and teacher comments back the same way.  I request, and take tests through a designated proctor using a computer as well.  Technology has also allowed me to feel connected, not only with my professors, but with classmates.  I have participated in several group collaborations, and have the ability to contact each student individually, along with each professor regarding any concerns or questions that may come up over the course of the semester.  I feel like this is one of the most important benefits of the advancing age that we live in.  I have never seen, spoken to, or met any of my professors, yet I can quite easily communicate with each one when it is necessary through email. 

Computers have given everyone the exact same access to education.  No, I do not get the advantage of going to class, and hearing lectures in person, and mingling with other students, but I have the even greater advantage of scheduling my time around a very busy and complicated life outside of school.  I am required to complete the same assignments, and often am able to watch or listen to lectures.  How do I do that?  You guessed it!  On the computer.  Again, the beauty of this is that I can do it when I CHOOSE to (well as long as I am able to complete the assignments on time).

Computers have been the catalyst to my education, so to speak.  Without computers and technology, my education would have ended back in 2000, after completing only one year of college right out of high school. Technology took away most of the excuses that I had built around myself as a wall to justify the fact that I had not, and was not, doing anything to complete my education. 

 In this day and age, we (as in all of us, myself included!) have become totally dependent. I really feel that without our hi-tech luxuries society as we now know it would come to a standstill.