A Professor's Perspective

The frustration of technology

                After interviewing a student I thought it would also be a good idea to get the opinion of a professor. Deciding upon whom to interview was easy, my history professor Mr.Dedecker seemed like an obvious choice considering his connections to the past. As someone who has studied history so intently I thought he could give me a unique view into technology and how it has changed things. Additionally I really believe the man is both insightful and intelligent so I actually value his opinion on this subject.

                Let me start by saying that he is someone who is constantly attached to his technology as much as you and I are today. That being said he mentioned that the technology is really dividing us, it puts a barrier between those of us who have it and those of us who don’t. It also really pushes people it groups giving them titles such as “Facebook Friends” or “Twitter Followers” rather than viewing each person as an individual they are defined by their media. On the positive side though he sees the obvious benefits of technology saying that its good for research, expanding knowledge, and creating medicine.

                I moved on to ask him what he thought would happen if technology as we know it simply ceased to exist today. His response was rather comical though likely true to life “Those under thirty would go into cardiac arrest, and those over would be alright.” Finally I asked him if he had anything else to offer on the topic to which he said “Technology has opened many doors and closed a lot of others.” Profound words in my opinion, I think it’s true that technology has given us so much but also taken away a lot and yet we’ll likely never realize exactly what it is we've lost.

Caption: In return for his interview I'd like to show off a bit of his musical talent!

A Look In The Mirror

My Tech Addictions.

                 So far I've taken my time to examine how a fellow student uses technology, how a professor feels about the technology at hand, and how those around me use it when they shouldn't  now it’s time to turn the magnifying glass upon myself. I already knew this was going to be an interesting experience and having seen the results I’m honestly not surprised by them, still I’d love to share them with you. The date I’ll be talking about was Thursday November twenty ninth and I’ll be examining how I use technology, when I use technology, and why I use that technology. I can tell you now that as an avid gamer and tech lover the numbers are going to be high and as I know myself I won’t be surprised though I’m sure others might.

                My day starts at Seven when I wake up to the sound of my alarm on my phone of course though for the first few ours of my day the only piece of technology I use is my phone's mp3 player as I walk to the bus and head to school. Once there though during my down time I spent thirty minutes sitting outside the library enjoying the local internet using Facebook  From there it was off the English 101 where I used the computer for the next hour working on this very blog. Next I listened to music while I walked to my business class and for the next hour and a half my phone is away while I take a test. Afterwards comes a bit of downtime though this is mostly filled with studying in the library with a few other students I do use the computer for about twenty minutes changing my schedule for next semester. Of course in my next class I have a test yet again so from three to four my phone is in my pocket rather than in my hand. Finally with my day finished I head out to dinner with my family and we get home around six. From now on things get a bit hectic… Not only for the next six or so hours am I on my computer working on homework I also have it linked to my T.V. where I’m watching a stream and finally in my hands for most of the period is my phone constantly used to check Facebook or text.

                As I expected once I've got free time on my hands well it’s dedicated to the technology at hand. On a day where I have less tests I might have used my phone more at school but I still think this shows how much I use technology recreationally. Even as I write this Blog post I have a stream running in the background and a phone not far from my hand. At this point I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing but I enjoy the distractions even if they slow down my progress a bit. In the future it might be a good idea to try setting all this technology aside and seeing how a day goes without any of it, but that’s for another day and possibly another blog post.

Catpion: As for what sort of videos I waist my time one.
Well here's one, a trailer for an upcoming movie.

A Spy In The Class Room

If you're going to text in class
do it the right way!

               Today I decided that it was time to actually do some detective work and figure out just how distracting technology can be! So during my art history lecture I took a seat in the very back of the room and watched my fellow students (while taking notes of course). My objective was simply to see who would text during a class we were specifically asked not to use our phones in. I had a few students that I knew I would be watching; ones that often used their phones in class and were rather obvious about it at times. However once I broadened my view I got a better census of things I came to realize that a majority of those students in the room checked their phone at least once. If numbers are more solid, in a class of 29 students I witnessed 22 check their phone! That’s 72% of the students in this one class and though of those most only glanced to their phone once or twice I observed one student who was glued to her phone for most of the class period.

                

                     After noticing her check her phone 4 times within the first five minutes of class I decided to lower my scope and see just how often one student would actually text in class. Over the period of out hour and twenty minute class she looked down to her phone and at least checked a message 68 times! That means that roughly every minute she was making sure she didn't get a text, sending a text, or reading a message! Shocking numbers if you were to ask me though I wanted to know more and so as class came to an end I casually asked how her grade was in the class. She admitted that she was sliding by with a low C but if she didn't do well on the final she was going to be in trouble. I withheld from asking if she thought her constant texting was to blame but I’m sure it was on some level. Just goes to show you that technology when not handled properly can really cause problems.

Caption: As for what I think should be done when a student is caught?
This college professor has the right idea in scaring his students.

Interview With A Fellow Gamer!

What a shocking interview! 

Today I decided to talk to one of my friends about his use of technology and how he feels about technology as a whole. He is an AWC student with an undecided major as well as a graphic designer at Canyon Distributing who uses technology every day both at work and at home. As a student he of course uses technology to do his school work and to schedule his classes but he did have one interesting thing to say about that. “Doing my work online allows me to do it on my own schedule and that’s great but the quality really drops when I’m not in a classroom.” This really struck a cord with me because I understand where he’s coming from. He went on to say that despite this being able to do work off campus is the main reason he is still a student while maintaining a full time job. Though he admits the quality of his school work has dropped as a result he is more than willing to take the hit in order to obtain the convenience of fully online courses.

This information really changed the tune of the interview for me; I went on to ask him if working with technology daily had any impact on this decision. This is where I learned that prior to being promoted to the deign side of his job at Canyon Distributing he came to AWC for his courses and sat through the classes happily. It was only once he started working on a computer at work that he wanted to do the same for school. I then asked him if he wishes he hadn't taken the promotion for that reason. His response was slightly mixed; he really wished that technology hadn't spoiled him away from normal schooling as he actually preferred the discussions that went on in the classroom. However at the same time he was pleased to not be stocking shelves anymore and wouldn't go back to that even if it meant doing better in school.

After hearing this I decided to move on to talking about how he used technology recreationally and if that played a part in his choices. Once more I found that his life was deeply embedded in the use of technology, at home he spends most of his time on his computer or hanging out playing his Xbox. He even went as far as to admit the only time he wasn't using his computer was when he went out to play cards, and even then he was often using his laptop to look up random things online. This is when I went for a more direct question and asked him simply if he thought he was addicted to the technology around him? At first he laughed about such a question though he then admitted that he probably was addicted to it recreationally and in the work place he’d be without a job if he didn't have it. To finish off the interview I asked him what game he thought he spent the most time playing and if he felt as though he was wasting his time enjoying it? He admitted he played League of Legends the most and on some weekends spent over twelve consecutive hours playing with a bunch of friends around his kitchen table. As someone who also plays games a fair amount I feel as though I understand where he is coming from, but like him I don't think I'll be making any changes in my life because of it.

Caption: To those of you wondering what this addicting game is well welcome to the fields of justice!

Technology and Me



Technology vs reality



I've already said that I’m always plugged in but is this really a good thing? I know that I enjoy the technology that I use just as most due but is it causing me to lose as much as I gain? I can say one thing for sure before I delved into the world of gaming and gave up my bike for a headset and mouse I saw my friends more often. Instead of meeting up online to play Halo we met up at the park to hang out on the jungle gym. In fact overall my personal connections with people have dropped significantly.  It has reached the point that my friends and I actually have to plan when we’re going to see one another again and more words are said over a microphone than in person. In fact if we weren't such nerds that Dungeons and Dragons consumed our weekends I doubt we’d ever actually see on another on days we’re all outside of school.

On the inverse I have to say that though I don’t actually see my friends as often as I once did I certainly know more about them. Through constant Facebook updates and conversations held over online channels I've grown to understand more about their hobbies, interests, and preferences. Conversations last longer online than in person and picking up where you left off is so much easier when all the information sits before you. Additionally the ease with which I can contact others has made being a student much easier. Instead of scheduling a day to meet with my professor I can simply send out an Email enclosing all the questions I had and wait for a response. If I’m going to miss class I can inform my teacher and I can even get the very same assignment off Black Board as every other student does at AWC. Truly these aspects of technology have made my life a lot easier than it was in high school where missing a day of classes put you behind a full eight hours.

Beyond my friends and the classroom I've also found that the internet is a huge source of information and without it I wouldn't know everything I do now. As someone who loves to learn the concept of being able to research anything or just stumble upon new information on a daily basis has attracted me to the World Wide Web. Though I might not strike out with the intentions of learning through websites like Stumble upon I've learned things I would have never otherwise found interest in. I've attached a short video about the website so that those of you who haven’t had a chance to visit stumble upon can give it a try, happy stumbling!

Caption: Stumple upop, a website perfect for those with nothing to do.

The Pleasantries

Welcome readers to the very first post of my very first blog. My name is Blake Grimes; I was born in Providence, Rhode Island, raised all across the nation, and now reside in Yuma, Arizona. To some this city is a winter haven but as someone who remains here in the summers I recognize it as a part of the nation where the sun scorches the earth and snow is a forgotten concept.  Despite this I’m making the best of it as a student studying psychology at AWC and I avoid the heat by indulging in my favorite hobby gaming. No matter if it’s a computer, gaming console, or a bunch of books and a bag of dice I’ll game anywhere with anyone. This lifestyle has helped me make many friends both locally and even internationally via the many resources technology has provided.

On this subject I have to say I am someone who is always plugged in and always willing to use that to my advantage. Getting instant updates about the games I love via the internet or planning out my school schedule after delving into what homework has been assigned the technology I keep with me and around me has made me into who I am today. Obviously I wouldn’t be interested in video games if I didn’t have a computer to play them on. Similarly I would have never found my love of psychology if it wasn’t for research done on the very same computer. To put it simply I’ve become so connected, so integrated with technology that I couldn’t imagine living without it and honestly wouldn’t want to!