My Grade School Technology Timeline

  • First Computer Usage

    First Computer Usage
    In 2001, I was in first grade. I used a computer for the first time to type a story I had written. I used a computer to also create images for my story. They were printed and placed in a book.
  • Trips to the Computer Lab

    Trips to the Computer Lab
    I remember it was always a special time when we got to go to the computer lab as a class. The computer lab was a section of our library that had Apple desktop computers that were blue and clear colors. It was beautiful, and I always loved turning on the computer and watching it light up.
  • Learning to Type

    Learning to Type
    In 6th grade, we all had to take a typing class. We would practice typing on this game called "Type to Learn", and I really enjoyed it. I liked trying to practice to see how fast I could type, and it was always a really fun time going to my computer. It felt like a ritual.
  • Laptops and WIFI

    Laptops and WIFI
    I remember in middle school, we first started using laptops, which was a big deal. We were also learning about this new thing called "WIFI", and we would have to make sure we were connected to the Wifi port in order for our laptops to work. I would always search to make sure my three bars in the shape of the triangle were connected to the school's Wifi.
  • Projector Still Going Strong

    Projector Still Going Strong
    In high school, even though I had been using computers since first grade, I noticed many of my teachers were still using over head projectors to teach. The really advanced teachers used Elmos and other camera sharing devices to teach.
  • Personal Email

    Personal Email
    When I was applying to college, it was early on when the Common Application went digital and only one school that I applied to had to be done in paper. Applying to college required me to have my own email address set up, as well as learning how to navigate online portals and more!
  • My Own Laptop

    My Own Laptop
    It wasn't until I got accepted to college that I finally got my own laptop. My family had a home desktop computer that we all shared, but having my own laptop felt like a big deal. I used it to for a lot of essay writing and research in college.