I recently applied for Apple’s Scholars program. Part of the submission process was writing four essays. Two of the four essays dealt with technology related subjects that I thought my blog readers might be interested in. Now that the deadline is over for the scholarship, I feel that I can post my essays without worrying about someone stealing them. So, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
The first of the two essays I will be posting deals with ways college students can take advantage of new technology to aid in the education process. There was a 250 word limit on this essay, so if it seems abrupt, that’s because I had to conform to constraints. Now without further ado, here’s my first essay:
Technology for college students has rapidly changed just within the past two years. With each and every change, technology is making college students’ lives easier and allowing them to get more out of classes.
College students can now listen to lectures given by their own professors in a podcast form. This allows students to quickly receive new lectures and listen to them at their convenience, hopefully when they are in an academically-prepared state. Students can also use devices which hook up with their everyday MP3 player, allowing them to record lectures for later reference if they aren’t offered as a podcast.
Within the classroom, notebooks are becoming an increasingly popular method for getting more out of the class. Students can easily take notes on their computer, using programs that organize all of their notes for reference later. WiFi in colleges is also enhancing the notebook experience, giving students the power of the internet at their fingertips. With access to the internet, students can access websites which will answer questions they might have during a lecture, allowing students to fully understand what’s being said in the lecture.
Finally, technology is taking the boring part of learning and replacing it with fun. Instead of creating traditional reports, students can now easily create interactive multimedia reports, making projects more interesting to students. These multimedia projects give students options, meaning that a report does not always have to be a written essay. Students can use their own creativity to convey what they learned.
6 Comments
Nice. I applied too, but we don’t find out the winners until August…
Yea, sounds good. I applied too. Mind me asking what URL you provided to your work? Just curious what I’m up against. Just kidding. Good luck.
You’re looking at my URL. My website is a digital project, so that’s what I used.
Sweet stuff. Your website is nice. Sleek, clean design. I’ve recently started a webpage. I’m not going to share the URL just yet. The webpage sucks. But it’s in progress. I certainly don’t have the skills to make something like this…just yet. I will eventually. Once it’s up to speed, I drop the URL and you can check it out. I film and edit movies, by the way. So what program did you use for this website, and what language?
I also applied for the Apple Scholars program. Good job on your response. Have you heard anything back yet?
I was surfing to see if anybody else had posted up what they had written, because I’m kind of anxious about what I’m against too. Yours sounds somewhat similiar to what I wrote:
“Technology is meant to be used to produce products, solve problems, fulfill needs, or satisfy wants. Therefore, the best use of technology in college should be used for one of these purposes. Nowadays, information has become much more accessible and easier to distribute throughout the world- largely because of Technology. On campus you can find students listening to portable music players, such as the iPod, to help concentrate on schoolwork, or access things such as speeches, audio books, or lectures. Students can use PDA’s to help get organized, computers to research information, and cell phones to keep in touch with friends, peers, and teachers. However, college students should not allow technology to get in the way of their learning. Students should not rely heavily on PDA’s and forget organizational skills, or use MP3 players to drown out the teacher’s lecture. Students shouldn’t use the computer to chat on instant messaging all day, or use cell phones to cheat in class. Technology may have widespread applications, but its benefits can only be obtained by how it is used. Technology can be either a convenience or a hassle; it depends on the student. Most importantly, however, students should use technology in positive ways, so that they create a better learning experience on campus for everybody.”
Winners announced in little over a week. Good Luck.
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[...] I thought tonight would be a good night to publish the second and final Apple Scholars essay. I’ve been under the weather all day, so it’s near impossible to get a logical thought pattern at the moment. That’s why I’m whipping out the prewritten stuff. [...]
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