Appreciating Technology in Education

My response to this post:

http://gtirbs.blogspot.com/2011/05/entry-10-technology.html

For some reason, the comment box didn't work, and I took the time to write this.  So, here it is!

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Dr. Speaker, I agree with your ideas about the inevitability of technology become more integrated into our lives.  However, as some who values - and yes, has a nostalgic longing for - some peace and quiet away from the constant connections, I have to say I'm still hesitant to let some things go, like a paperback or textbook for example.  Yes, e-books are much cheaper and better for the environment.  But, using and referencing one of my online textbooks takes up way more of my time than it would if I just had a hard copy of it.  I find that when I work from a hard copy text book, I absorb the information better and I can flip quickly to the index and find what I'm looking for (rather than clicking back and forth through menus and losing my place and train of thought).  When I'm writing a paper on a laptop, I have to click back and forth through windows (or make each window small) instead of just having my reference on the table beside me.  And, frankly, it's a reprieve from looking at a screen.

One thing I find is that now that virtually everything is online, I'm incessantly connected to my computer or some other electronic device.  I relish opportunities where I enter into a building that requires phones to be off.  I shouldn't have to be at everyone's disposal every second of the day, and I should be able to enjoy, uninterrupted, what I'm doing in the present moment at its fullest.  Opportunities to experience a still, focused mind are quite rare in this generation, but, in my opinion, are so important to having a good quality of life.

I do love my gadgets, and I genuinely have an appreciation for the amount of information at my fingertips at any moment.  I'm not scared of technology, and I do my best to stay up-to-date and educated on how to use new devices.  However, I think we should tread carefully.  We are at risk of spending way too much time and money on figuring out how things work and deciding whether or not they'd be useful tools in the classroom when we could have finished a very effective lesson already.  It's best to let newer technologies sit in the market for a while to make sure they suit their purpose efficiently and effectively before we dive in to every technological fad as soon as  it hits the shelves.

Just today...

Today is a beautiful day in New Orleans.  I spent the morning at the eye doctor where I learned my astigmatism has slightly increased, but other than that all is well!  I'm glad I made an early appointment because it was so nice driving through the city with the music up and windows down!  I really enjoyed it.  The area of Gentilly (the Dillard subdivision) where my doctor's office is is very nice.  I'm not too familiar it, but it was very clean with lots of trees, wide streets, and it was quiet.  My eye doctor is so friendly, and he was in no rush.  He was on time to my appointment, and spent a whole 45 minutes with me!  He evaluated my eyes to the sharpest vision possible then we chatted while he entered the data into their seemingly new computer system.  It's probably why his appointments are so spread out... it took me 3 months to get!

I went to Adoration after, which is always nice.  I really look forward to it each week, though when I first made the commitment, I was nervous about breaking away from my daily routine to go and sit still for an hour with Jesus.  It's actually quite easy to do.  I spend the first 10 minutes quietly praying, then I read the day's mass readings slowly, line by line.  I got down in a little notebook any interesting thoughts.  Then, I have a meditation that I read from my Laudate Android app.  I read that slowly, then jot down any thoughts.  I end by spending the last 10-15 minutes in quiet adoration prayer, also which I find on my Laudate app.  The one hour really flies by!  I really like my 11am-12pm time slot, because the church bells right right at 12, so it is an easy signal that it's time for me to leave without me having to glance at the clock.  After doing this a few times now, I have built up quite a collection of notes, and I read through some of them today.  I am noticing trends and common themes in the things I write about, and that gives me a boost knowing that I'm living my life according to the truth I find in Catholic teachings.  The same truth appears in different ways each week, and I love that constancy.  I always wonder if people think that I'm piddling around texting on my cell phone while I'm supposed to be adoring Jesus.  But, I hope people realize that Bible, meditation, and prayer apps are easy ways of accessing spiritual texts that are excellent supplements during prayer time.  Nobody's bothered me about it yet.

The rest of my afternoon has been devoted to career planning and school work.  Besides a normal flow of reading, analyzing, and writing essays, I'm considering a certification in special education.  I'm in the beginning phases of consideration, but am feeling a strong pull towards it.  I'll write more about that later.  We shall see what the next few days have in store for me!