Core 1

Kimberly Scottaline

Moody

ENC 1102-025

February 9, 2010

Core I: First Draft

My level of technology expertise is relatively low. I know how to operate my Mac Book very well, and I can navigate on the web fairly easy. I started using Office programs since I was very young. Throughout middle and high school I learned how to use many different aspects of Word, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and Adobe. These are all programs that were required for me to know for the purpose of completing an assignment.

As I get older and progress though college, I realize that it is essential that I learn how to use these programs in their entirety. Being in college, I have learned how to better navigate certain websites and online course materials. Keeping up with the advancing of technology is very important also. There are many other types of technologies that I need to become more familiar with and learn how to use to succeed in school. I would like to learn how to use programs like Excel and online course tools.

Although knowing how to use common technologies such as Office and networking websites is going to be very useful for me on the future that is not the end. When I graduate from college, I would like to be working at a hospital as a specialized neonatal nurse in the intensive care unit. Technology in hospitals is becoming more and more advanced at a particularly high rate. If I am going to become successful and be on the same technologically literate level as the hospital and the staff, I am going to have to be willing to learn and learn to keep up with the current and upcoming technologies that need to be used to the best of our advantage.

One example of the ever changing and advancing of technology in hospitals, especially among nurses, is a pen that is a tablet PC that has a wireless radio and a barcode reader built in. This highly versatile and advanced piece of technology allows nurses to easily and quickly scan a patient's identification tag and prescription medications then enter data into the system all within a few seconds. This is just one example of the technological advancements that I would have to learn to use and understand when I become a part of this community.

The computer has changed dramatically over the past 40 years. I often find myself wondering, “How would I ever be able to do this without a computer?” I am a part of the first generation that has not experienced life without a computer, so it is sometimes difficult to come up with an answer to that question. Today, it is not only computer that have taken hold of the world, it is every piece of technology imaginable. Whether it’s an extremely tiny cell phone that has more capabilities than a modern PC, or just the idea of easily accessing any type of information via the Internet with the click of one button, technology is rapidly changing the way people think, feel, and live. People are communicating in a whole new way. Important business meeting are taking place through video chats and conference calls between people across the world. News is reaching opposite hemispheres within a matter of seconds. It is difficult to not fall into the hold of computers and technology today. As a society, we would be lost without it.

Growing up with computers and watching them change and improve has leaded me to becoming dependent on technology. I do not think that it a negative aspect of technology. Since I have become dependent on computers, I am keeping up with how things are done today in the modern world. Technology is never going to come to a halt, it is only going to progress and people should learn to use technology. Constantly, computers, phones, and other technologies are developing new features and new programs, websites, and applications are popping up and learning how to use them is imperative, especially to new college students. Keeping up with new technologies has helped me to learn about the technologies themselves and I feel now that I understand how they work. To me, the technological revolution is a very good thing. Advancements in technology mean advancements in science, communication, entertainment, and ultimately, the quality of life.