My life has been forever changed! by Jasmine

My life has been forever changed! by Jasmine - January 2020 Scholarship Essay

How has technology positively impacted my classroom experience you ask? Let's just start with those chalk boards! For me, I have always been that person that doesn't care for those sounds or sights that seem to make your skin crawl and every hair on your arm stand tall. Well somehow, I luckily had to come up in an elementary school with teachers that wrote in such a way that both of those things seemed to happen to me on a daily basis. This made it extremely hard for me to focus because I was trying not to get overwhelmed with chills! Needless to say, Middle school became a breath of fresh air when "Smart Boards" were installed into every classroom. Smart Boards enabled a stylus-like pen to digitally write and touch anything that you needed it to on the board without having the mess and sound effects of a chalk board.
Another way that technology has positively impacted my classroom experience is by replacing textbooks with iPads and laptop computers. No more heavy book bags, locker visits in between every class to eliminate unnecessary weight, nor purchasing tons of pens, pencils, and notebooks each semester. Even at a young age, I remember having lower back pains because of carrying such a heavy book bag. Now, all of those things are by choice and not by force. I am truly grateful for the iPads and laptops.
I really could list many reason on how technology has positively impacted my classroom experience, but simply replacing the chalk boards with the Smart boards and replacing textbooks with digital books through iPads and laptops are sufficient enough reasonings. I believe that those minor things have had such a major impact on the lives of many. With there continuing to be an evolution in the area of technology, I'm sure that there will be more positive ways that technology will impact us in the classroom in years to come. I cannot wait to see what the future holds with technology in the classroom. I am a product of someone who's classroom experience has been forever changed by technology.