Sunday, March 30, 2014

My Love/Hate relationship with technology

I have a serious Love/Hate relationship with most technology.

Technology has improved my life in countless ways.  I like to connect with family and friends on Facebook & look at all the creative ideas on Pinterest.  It is great to be able to take and instantly e-mail digital pictures, instead of the old days waiting a week or more for blurry shots to be developed.  I am having fun writing my blog & I am so excited about releasing my first book available on Kindle, but technology can also be extremely challenging. 

I have been known to yell obscenities at my lap top (especially when using Microsoft Word) when it randomly does strange things.  Even working on downloading my book to the Kindle publishing website took a while to figure out, I kept having weird spaces in random places, and I just couldn't figure out why.   

I personally believe that whoever designed Windows 8 should be taken out and tarred & feathered.   I HATE it!  I realize hate is a strong word – but I really do hate it.  I know that it is my fault that I am forced to use it.  I had a laptop that worked perfectly well, but apparently lap tops don’t like being fed coffee L so when I had to go out and get a replacement lap top last year, they all came with Windows 8 - I had no choice.  It is so annoying.  It has these stupid ‘applications’ that are supposed to be similar to when you use apps on your phone or ipad, but if I wanted to use my phone I would, I don’t want apps on my lap top – I just want a computer that is easy to use. 

I have even gotten angry at Siri when she doesn’t understand a request or a question.  I should be completely amazed at the technology involved in recognizing my voice (along with millions of other voices) and being able to process and respond to requests almost instantly, but I have become spoiled like most people now-a-days and I want technology to always work perfectly.  I get frustrated, I yell at the computer.  My fiancé actively tries to avoid dealing with me when I am using technology. 

My family finds it incredibly ironic that I am considered one of the technology experts at my school, and that other teachers actually come to me for technology help.  It really is incredible, I know teachers who are barely able to do more than check their e-mail, I even had one teacher ask for help in using power point.  Yes, I said Power point – which I assumed was a staple technology of teaching for the past 20 years.  I can muddle my way through the basic technology at our school, I can update our boring teacher web pages that we were assigned, I can use our online grading system, I can set up an e-mail distribution list, but I am amazed at how many other teachers just don't know how to use technology.

Our students today have never known a world without cell phones, e-mail and of course the Internet.   These students interpret and share information in a huge variety of ways, they text, tweet, IM, Facebook, blog, vine, snap chat and more.  The use of technology opens almost unlimited options for amazing media that students can relate to, but the challenge is that most teachers like me are unfamiliar with all of the new technology.  It takes time and energy to learn all of the ways to share information with our tech savvy students. 

I will continue to challenge myself to learn new technology skills and try new programs and applications.  I know I will get frustrated, and likely I will hate some of them, but I am also sure that there will be some new technology that will help to make my life even better – if I am patient enough to learn how to use it.

3 comments:

  1. Love this post I feel same way sometimes. I have broken a few mouses and keyboards in my day from misdirected anger lol, getting better now though :) Thanks for share

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  2. Thanks Mari- I am so glad you enjoyed it, I haven't broken a mouse yet - but my fiancé likes to make fun of how hard I type on the keyboard when I am angry & I have been known to use some colorful language at times.

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  3. I have the same relationship with technology. I can't imagine life without it but it does have so many drawbacks. Great post and great way to have us thinking :) Thank you for sharing with us at Turn it up Tuesday

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