The Sky is the Limit by Iseabailla

The Sky is the Limit by Iseabailla - January 2020 Scholarship Essay

One of the things my father loves to tell me about is a story that took place back when he had just graduated high school and began the college enrollment process. As my dad scoured for a school that would suit him, he was pulled to his eventual alma mater not only due to the financial aid he received, but also due to the special gift they offered: a computer! When I was little, I never truly recognized the significance of this, because laptop computers were not as widespread back then as they are today. Nowadays we not only incorporate computers into our education but we also have smart boards, electronic writing pads, and even 3-D printers that have been integrated into every facet of our learning. Technology has not only created a new forum for curriculum to be grasped by students, and furthered the amount of topics that can be covered by educators, but these new technologies have allowed kids to dream bigger to realize that the sky truly is the limit. Nothing stands in our way with the aid of technology in the classroom.
When I look back at my homework, assignments, worksheets and study guides from my earlier years, doodles fill the pages. After long debate, I proved to my mom that I was not zoning out in class, but in actuality these doodles were helping me learn. For every question, especially in math word problems, I drew the situation to visualize what was actually happening. Technology has taken the place of these doodles I used to create on the margins of my papers. It allows me to physically see the conditions of the problem we are attempting to solve. With features such as drawing in different colors on the smart board to separate distinct collections in math problems, or even videos to see processes that are microscopic like cell division, the rate of someone like me finally understanding the curriculum at a deeper level skyrockets!
When I first walked into my precalculus class this year, my teacher handed us the syllabus. My eyes grew wide. We were going to cover so much material this year! My teacher talked to us about the fact that when she was in school, a lot of the equations that had to be written out, could now be done in seconds on the graphing calculator.These handheld time savers have allowed me, someone who does not have a strong suit in math, to accomplish so much more. It has, in reality, helped our entire generation accomplish far greater peaks that past generations had to do so much more work to climb.
One of my favorite things to do during my sixth grade year was to visit my schools innovation room which housed some of the greatest technologies our school had to offer. I can remember looking at the 3D printer fascinated that the model my friend had created on the computer was actually being formed from plastic before my very eyes. On the computer, my friend had debated for ages about what to create. The sky was the limit. Anything their mind imagined was possible and laid at their fingertips. They just had to make it. Whatever students dream of nowadays is possible with these new tools we have by our side, whether it be for a school project or even a career they would like to pursue. The only thing they need is an idea and a will!
Technology in the classroom has not only enabled the quality education I am so thankful to have received up to this day, but it will continue to enable my education in college and later career. As a nursing student at Sacred Heart University this fall, I cannot wait to get my hands on the different machines, tools, and technologies that will allow me to learn this field, and eventually help make a difference in the lives of my patients
Before, I mentioned that the sky was the limit with the integration of technology into our education. However, through all the experiences I have had throughout my own learning - aid in grasping concepts, elimination of time wasting processes, and inspiration - I have come to realize that not even the sky can limit students’ potential. Technology can make anything possible when children are given access to it to understand the world around them.