Willie C. Mack IV Professor Leslie Wolcott ENC 1102 30 August 2013 Many eo le gain t!e "a#ority of t!

eir literacy fro" sc!ool as $ell as t!e assign"ents t!at t!ey gi%e out. I cannot say t!at I &i&n't &o t!e sa"e t!ing( )ut $!en it co"es to learning a)out !o$ to ty e an& &o "any tasks on t!e co" uter I !a& to learn a co" letely &ifferent $ay. W!en I first use& a co" uter( I $as at "y gran& arent's !ouse using an ol& I*M co" uter. My first %i&eo ga"e t!at I laye& on it $as a classic ga"e using a flo y &isk calle& Co""an&er +een. It $as a si&e scrolling s!ooter a&%enture ga"e in $!ic! you nee&e& to rescue your sister fro" an alien )ree&. ,!e ga"e itself allo$e& "e to i" ro%e on "y !an&-eye coor&ination. I continue& to i" ro%e on laying &ifferent genres of %i&eo ga"es suc! as )ooks !a%e &ifferent genres so &o %i&eo ga"es. ,!e creation of t!e internet to t!e u)lic &efinitely altere& "y %ie$ of "any ga"es. After recei%ing an A.L &isk to install for t!e &ial-u internet connection as !o"e( I )egan to e/ lore sites suc! as M0N an& 1a!oo. ,!ere( I $oul& rea& so"e of t!e ne$s !ea&lines t!at $ere locate& on t!e age. It !el e& a ton( )ecause I &i&n't rea& "any )ooks t!at $eren't assigne& outsi&e of sc!ool. 0oon after t!at A,2, starte& to ro%i&e faster internet access calle& 30L( $!ic! lea& to "y &isco%ery of a ga"e calle& 4unesca e )ack in 2005. It is a !uge a&%enture ga"e in $!ic! you nee& to le%el "any skills u to o)tain certain ite"s or to &o 6uests $it!in t!e ga"e itself. ,!e ga"e taug!t "e !o$ to ty e faster an& "ore roficiently( $!ile teac!ing "e !o$ to use se%eral &ifferent acrony"s. It e%en !el e& i" ro%e "y Englis! )y co""unicating $it! t!e se%eral layers $!o $ere laying t!e ga"e at t!e ti"e. If I &i&n't kno$ a certain $or& t!at $as ty e& in t!e c!at )o/( t!en I $oul& rocee& to look u t!e &efinition of t!e $or& $it! t!e use of a &ictionary. I continue& to e/ an& "y kno$le&ge a)out co" uters )y taking a class in !ig! sc!ool a)out !o$ to create your o$n $e)site an& e&it ictures $it! t!e use of A&o)e soft$are. It can )e an entertaining ro#ect e&iting ictures )y "aking t!e ictures look goofy )y $ar ing t!e face or art of t!e t!ing )eing e&ite&. 3rea"$ea%er an& P!otos!o are t!e na"es of t!e rogra"s t!at I use& in t!e course( an& &ue to "y )ackgroun& $it! co" uters( I often !a& to !el t!e ot!er stu&ents in t!e class to co" lete t!e assign"ents t!at $ere &ue for t!at &ay. ,!ereafter( I $as taking engineering classes in 7ig! 0c!ool t!at taug!t "e !o$ to rogra" &ifferent soft$are. .ne of "y first ro#ects $as )uil&ing a &e%ice to sort &ifferent colore& "ar)les into t!eir o$n &esignate& )ins. ,!e tea" t!at I $as artnere& $it! "a&e our o$n goal in atte" ting to "ake a &e%ice t!at use& fe$er arts t!an any ot!er grou in t!e class. We rocrastinate& 6uite a )it to aroun& t!e last $eek of t!e ro#ect( t!oug! $e succee&e& $it! t!e use of a)out 18 arts( 2 "otors( an& a car&)oar& )in for t!e "ar)les. After I )eca"e curious a)out t!e inner $orkings of a co" uter an& &eci&e& to take one a art an& see for "yself. I took a art t!e ol& I*M co" uter )urie& a$ay in t!e garage to see e%eryt!ing fro" t!e rocessor to t!e ra" c!i s an& to t!e !ar& &ri%e. Later( I finally )egan to )uil& "y o$n co" uter at !o"e after )uying se%eral of t!e alrea&y re-"a&e ones fro" t!e store. ,!e )uil&ing rocess only laste& a)out t$o &ays( so it $asn't too )a&( )ut t!e $ait for t!e arts to co"e in took a)out a $eek's ti"e. I $ill al$ays fin& $ays to e/ an& on "y tec!nological literacy $it! ne$ in%entions t!at co"e out or ne$ uses for $or&s.

0u""ing u e%eryt!ing( "y "ain institutional s onsor $as "y !o"e follo$e& )y "y 7ig! 0c!ool $it! "y s onsors )eing "y arents( gran& arents( teac!ers( an& "yself for "y tec!nological literacy. I learne& !o$ to )uil& an& rogra" co" uters fro" !o"e an& sc!ool. I also learne& t!e ins an& outs of using &ifferent arts for co" uters as $ell as learning t!e &ifferent ter"s on t!e internet.

Work Cite& *ran&t( 3e)ora!. 90 onsors of Literacy.: College Composition and Communication( Vol. 8;( No. 2. <May( 1;;=>( . 15?-1=?. Print.