Everyone knows that technology has a great impact on the world- it's constantly changing and I, among many people have embraced that change. I remember when I was young and the internet was just barely being introduced to the public. As far as different methods of technology goes, the internet is one form that is doing wonders from an academic and educator standpoint. It can aid me in my endeavors both pre and post career.
As a college student, I'm well aware of how beneficial the internet can be. I'm constantly using the internet whether it's on social media or educational websites. Most, if not all colleges today offer something that would not have been achievable even twenty years ago- online classes. I tend to like to keep myself very busy during the school year which entails taking a lot of classes. Sometimes the classes I want to take aren't available in a convenient time slot, so I have the option to take the class online instead of through a traditional face to face lecture method. This saves me the headache of not only trying to figure out how to fit five classes that are all offered during the same time, but it also offers a lot of flexibility that traditional classes do not. If I have a lot of assignments and papers due a certain week, I'm able to adjust my homework schedule according to my hectic and crazy life.
The internet can also aid in the many assignments and papers that a student is bound to run into. Although I took my only required English class two years ago, I still find that I am constantly writing research papers and having to Google homework answers when I get stuck. The internet might not seem essential or need-based for these activities, but it shortens the amount spent on homework immensely. On research papers alone, I have saved hours and hours through being able to look at online databases for peer reviewed journals and articles rather that having to search through an entire book that might or might not be available at the school library. If I didn't have access to the internet, I would end up only being able to take half as many classes as I do now due to the lack of available time spent on homework.
There's nothing worse than being frustrated because you are unsure about a question, procedure or what to do with your life in general regarding academia. Believe it or not, the internet can help with that too! The internet has a multitude of school forums that any student can join and freely post on. I've used forums discussing academics many times throughout my college experience. They deal with many problems from what someone should bring to college to what are good test scores when applying to a certain program. I'm constantly on the go and I can attest that receiving advice about something I'm clueless on is valuable, especially when I can receive an answer within minutes!
Thus far, the internet has been very useful while attending college. However, I also plan to heavily use it when I graduate college and become an elementary school teacher. The internet has become a crucial tool to master when teaching at any grade level. Elementary school teachers often require more parent teacher interactions than they do at higher grade levels. Handing students flyers and letters to give to their parents is a good way to promote communication, but it's not always the best way. Students often forget or deliberately withhold information from their parents (such as a letter indicating a student is not doing well in a certain subject). By using the internet, it is possible for teachers to directly communicate with parents through email or other means. This can promote better communication and relationships with parents, students and teachers.
Professional networking is used in any career and the internet makes it more accessible through websites such as www.linkedin.com. By using the internet to widen your professional networking, you can access jobs and career opportunities that you might otherwise not be able to. It also enables easy access to communicate with other professionals in a certain career path. As a school teacher, this would be very useful in trying to contact individuals as guest speakers or to arrange field trips.
Teaching is a very time intensive career path because it doesn't stop when the school day ends. Teachers of any grade level put in a lot of time and effort both after and before school hours. They grade papers and prepare lessons, for example. A lot is expected of them, and that is where the internet comes in handy. There are a lot of educational websites available for teachers that can help them with things such as lesson plans, educational videos and language learning. These websites can help teachers become more organized and have more time to focus on what they're really there for- the children.
No matter where I am in my life, I know the internet can help me out in more than just being social and playing games. It has a great educational purpose and can help anyone whether they're in college or far into their career. It isn't a one note wonder, but an album of new opportunities that present itself in a new way everyday.
