The Professional Student Continued...

My parents wanted very much for my sister and I to do well in school, as they both hadn't had that great an experience while they were there. As a result, they purchased our computer when computers started to become popular (if not sooner). I distinctly remember my first experience with "chat rooms and avatars" in a place called The Palace. I am thinking I had no idea how BIG the whole chatting, internet, and advances in technology thing was going to become but... that was a long time ago now.

I am guessing this set the stage for our need, as a family and as individuals, to have computers and pagers and eventually cell phones soon after they hit the market. I had always loved to learn and learned quickly, so these new technological gadgets never stumped me for long. I can't say I knew that technology was the future, but I knew I liked the feeling of being connected and having the 'advantage.' I also felt it was probably NOT likely that I wouldn't benefit from the exposure. Little did I know, I was hooked!

Twenty years later, moving forward in my educational career both in technology and in general are least on my mind. Although I know that this will not always remain the case, I have, as the witty title of this section implies, been in college since I graduated high school. This nickname is one I have earned during many college courses at 3 (yes, I said 3) major universities and a community college. Am I proud of this fact? The answer is YES... and NO!

There is no doubt that I will continue to learn, as I make it a point to learn something new every day. I am, however, in an exciting in-between stage in my teaching career that doesn't allow me to say exactly what it is I will be doing in terms of technology in the near future. I will say that it is my intention to teach technology in some way wherever I am, be it as the computer teacher in a computer lab with many computers at my disposal or in a classroom where only 1 or 2 are available. I also cannot imagine myself not enrolled in some type of college course. Yet in completing the Educational Technology program solely online, I do know I will hesitate to ever step foot on a college campus again...

by: Andrea Territo