I interview a teenager, from Manhattan High School. He is in 10th Grade. I interview him because he likes to surf internet a lot, will always stick with his Nokia N95 cell phone. His father is my friend from Saudi Arabia. They arrived here last January.
* I= Interviewer S= Student (Abdul Rahman Al Khiary)
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I: What do you always use to communicate?
S: My cell phone.
I: what type of cell phone that you have?
S: Nokia, Nokia N95.
I: How does it differ with I-phone?
S: Actually it is almost the same, but I think it is better than I-phone. More features compared to I-phone.
I: How often do you use your cell phone?
S: He is my best friend. I bring him where ever I go.
I: How about your friends? How do they contact/communicate with you?
S: By email, but they prefer to use cell-phone (texting).
I: Do you think that other adults use technology differently they way you and your friends use it?
S: What do you mean?
I: Let me put it this way, how do you see your father use technology? Does he have other device differently from yours when it comes to communication?
S: Yes, he uses cell phone too. He has blue tooth device. He uses computer too. I prefer to know the latest update on Nokia phones but my dad does not really care about it.
I: What about internet? Do you have special search engine that you use to get information?
S: No, I use any kind of information as long as I get it. My dad will monitor first the website that I would like to surf.
I: What about your dad?
S: He prefers to use Google.
I: Do you use any gadgets beside your phone?
S: What is gadget?
I: Do you watch cartoon “Inspector Gadget”?
S: No.
I: Inspector Gadget is a character in cartoon; he has lots of special devices helping his work as investigation officer. Well…Gadget is a … You can use the dictionary in your phone to search for the meaning?
S: (searching using the dictionary software in his phone)…it says small machine. Is it like blue tooth? I use my dad blue tooth sometimes.
I: Yes, one of them. What do you like to learn in school if money is not a problem for you?
S: I want to have video conferencing for few subjects. For example, I can have face to face discussion asking and interviewing stock broker from Wall Street or New York. I think teacher is not enough nowadays.
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When I was about his age, I had to bring dictionary to school (which was very heavy). It is important to see how he applies and use the technology to help him to learn and improve his vocabulary. Noticing that he is second language learner, I believe that’s why he perceives his Nokia as his best friend. I don’t see any much indifference of technology being used between him and his dad, except that he likes to know new and up to date information on stuff (cell-phone) that he uses. Also, I think he realized that through video conferencing can help him to have hands on/first hand information towards subjects/ areas that he is interested.
Tags: google, grades, highness, know, Manhattan, students, studs, vocabularies