Technology Autobiography

Kevin Coultas’ Technology Autobiography

Although I came to computers relatively late in life (I bought my first one (Mac G4) ten years ago when I was 28), they quickly became an integral and indispensable part of my daily life. At first, I mainly used the computer to keep up with friends and relatives via email. I then began to use them for more creative endeavors at work and at home. I would generate orders, reports, and analyze buying and selling trends with computers in my job as a buyer for a local small business. At home, I used the computer and recording software such as Digidesign Protools to record and edit my own and others musical groups.
After moving from Louisville to New York five years ago, I began to use the entire Microsoft Office suite on a Windows platform computer for the first time for work in my new job as national sales manager for a music distribution company. I used Acrobat Reader and (minimal) graphic editing software as well. Upon moving back to Louisville from New York two years ago I began working for and eventually took over a music marketing company, and continued using Excel, Word, and Entourage extensively. I am currently at the point where I couldn’t survive without them.
While on tour in Europe a few years ago with a musical group, I started a blog to document places where we played. It was nothing fancy, but it showed me how powerful a tool it could be for sharing ideas and photographs. In the past couple of years, I have jumped on the social networking bandwagon, joining and using facebook, myspace, twitter, and tumblr. Although I wouldn’t include myself in the “addict” category, I do use at least facebook pretty regularly as a way to stay in touch with my many friends that I don’t get to see much any more as I am in school.
Since being in the classroom, I have become spoiled by technology options (both classes I have been placed in have had Smartboards!) I have found these to be indispensable ways of staying organized and exposing students to engaging, interactive and fun modes of learning. I especially enjoy being able to quickly assess students using clickers, but the technology options are virtually endless when one has a Smartboard. I believe that using technology in the classroom adds a whole new level of engagement and incentive for students too. When students can be actively involved in the assignment, be it through publishing on a wiki, or being called on to come up to the Smartboard and add to the classroom discussion, active learning is increased.
Overall, I would say that I am fully “technologized” and have a very open attitude to learning new technologies for use in the classroom. I am especially excited to learn how to best use wikis and blogs for learning and teaching!