How Computers Affected my Education

Module 8

            Advancements in the personal computer have had a strong influence on the education of today’s students.  Virtually every assignment will require a student to use a computer in some form.  Whether it’s research through the internet, typing up a paper, or using software to develop graphs or graphics, computers play a huge role in education. 

            I can remember the first time I was introduced to computers in school.  I was only ten years old and in the 4^th grade.  Our school had a fairly new computer lab, and my class was brought in to be taught how to use a new operating system on the computers.  It was Windows 95.  The fact that our school thought it was important to teach ten year olds how to use this new software speaks on how the computer would soon affect education in virtually every way.  I can remember being shown how to use a typewriter by my father at a very young age.  Never once did I have to use that machine to type a paper because it became obsolete shortly after, due to the easy access of personal computers.

            As early as elementary school, I was given typing lessons on the personal computer.  Not only did we learn how to type, but we were also given lessons on particular subjects through interactive software such as floppy disks or CD.  The computer lab was every student’s favorite class.  The computer introduced lessons in a manner that was interactive, fun, and enjoyable.  I can also remember using software my parents had bought me on our own home computer to help me with math and reading.  This was just the beginning of the role the computer would play in my education.

            As I entered middle school, the popularity of the World Wide Web had just begun to take off.  To be honest, I don’t think I even knew what the internet was when I was in elementary.  Students began to realize the worth of the World Wide Web in regards to its endless pool of information for research.  The internet proved to be the end of my family’s home encyclopedia collection.  Those books only collected dust ever since we discovered Yahoo search.  Today, virtually all of my research done for an assignment comes from the Web.  Google is always the first step when I need to find information on anything.  “Google” is now a verb recognized in the dictionary.   This sums up the role that internet search engines play in our everyday lives. 

            Next, I can say that software such as Microsoft Power Point and Word are used on a regular basis by many students.  Every assignment I do, I type up using Microsoft Word.  It’s a whole lot quicker and more convenient than writing assignments by hand, which I can actually remember doing.  I’ve used Microsoft Power Point to create visual presentations for numerous assignments throughout my school years.  Most speeches or presentations I do now require a visual presentation which I almost always use Power Point for. 

            Finally, the World Wide Web has enabled the ability for students to do remote learning.  A student could possibly earn an entire college degree from the comfort of his or her own home.  Personally, I have taken online courses while being deployed half a world away in Iraq during my time in the Air Force.  Imagine working towards your degree while being deployed in an isolated combat zone.  This is a benefit made possible for me due to the technology of the computer and internet.

            Computers have played a huge role in my education.  I saw the early stages of how computers affected my education in my elementary years.  Since then, it has only continued to grow larger.  Today, I would only have to use pen and paper if I choose to.  Laptops and tablets are only getting more portable which makes it more convenient to write and take notes on.