Before enrolling in this course, I had never considered the ways in which I use technology, and how they impact both my educational and day to day life. Today, it is difficult to limit the amount of technology we use daily as it is all around us. I use technology for personal enjoyment, communication, and education. I found it interesting during Monday’s class to both reflect on the platforms I spend most of my time on, and also see how my answers compared to those of my classmates. In this post I will continue to dive deeper into my use of technology in the different aspects of my life.

Technology for Everyday Use:

In my life I use technology for a variety of reasons, sometimes they are positive, but not always. I mostly use technology in ways that are more productive in my day to day life. I use platforms like SnapChat as well as Messages (iPhone) to keep in contact with friends and family who do not live close, or communicate with my family. However, I find some technology in my daily life comes in the form of distractions, usually when I am trying to complete homework tasks. These distractions are things like social media and mobile games. Most of the time I do not even realize I have picked up my phone. I often find myself mindlessly scrolling through social media apps, like Instagram and TikTok, or playing mobile games (my favourite game at the moment is Homescapes). Though these distractions can be difficult to navigate, I feel the positives of the platforms I use outweigh the negatives.

Technology for Education:

I have used many different technology tools for my personal education. I began my University experience in 2021, meaning all of my classes were online. So, during this I had to learn to navigate a variety of Microsoft products (like Word, OneNote, PowerPoint), Canva, UR Courses, Zoom, and Google products (like Docs, Slides, and Drive). I have noticed that most of my technology use in regards to my education come from online sources rather than platforms I need to download. As for technology use as a Pre-Service teacher, I do not have much experience using technology in the classroom. The most I used technology during my pre-internship was through the use of YouTube. My students were incredibly busy, so brain and body breaks were crucial for a smooth lesson. I think YouTube has so many great resources for this purpose, however it can take lots of time to sift through all of the options in order to choose one that fits the classroom and lesson.

Above I have mentioned my uses of technology in both my personal and educational life. I see these two categories of my technology use as very different worlds that do not often connect with one another. But, in result of viewing it this way, I find it difficult to use technology for enjoyment without thinking of other more ‘productive’ things I could be doing. I think a healthy balance is very important, but I have not quite established this in my life yet.

My Favourite Technology Tools:

When thinking about my technology use, I know that I spend more time using educational tools than any other technology, but these things seem to draw less of my attention than the ones I use for enjoyment. I have noticed how easy it is for different websites and platforms to pull attention even when they hold less importance. I am looking forward to learning more about my classmates favourite education tools to expand my list. I would love to discover some more tools that are useful and increase my engagement.

I have many tools I like to use that keep me organized and on track with my goals. Below I have listed some of my favourites!

• TimeTree – This is a website that allows you to create a variety of different calendars to input any events, I always have TimeTree pinned at the top of my browser. Each semester I create two different calendars, one for my due dates in my classes, and another for timelines of when I would like to work on each assignment. It is easy to colour code events to keep things organized, and check things off as they are completed!
• Canva – I use Canva for all of my worksheets, lesson plans, and presentations. I like this site because the premium version is free for teachers, making many of the tools on this site accessible. I also love how most of Canva’s stickers and templates are a part of the public domain, which helps to avoid any copyright issues!
• Google Drive – I use Google Drive to organize my work into folders. Sometimes different assignments require a variety of materials and Google Drive helps to keep them all in one place. The idea of organizing a variety of files and documents into one place is also super helpful for unit planning. I like to use Google Drive because it lets me upload files from my computer, or ones locally stored on Drive into the same folder. These folders and documents are then easily shared with classmates, professors, and colleagues. (I also LOVE that you can directly move things from Canva to Google Drive!)