Technology Woes

I'm not sure how this blog thing is going to work... This is the first time that I have done anything like this and was intrigued when I read my friends blog. So, here goes nothing!

I've been thinking about how computer technology has infused itself in our lives. Everything can be found online now. You can bank, buy groceries, get directions, communicate, store massive amounts of information... The list is endless! What would we do without it? When the computers are down at school, I feel like a fish out of water! Everything that I can do (besides grade papers and teach kids) is on the computer! Even lessons that I have created are there. I have also been thinking about how the older generation is sometimes resistant to learning about technology and how frustrating it is sometimes for them when required to use it.

A few nights ago, I received a call from a colleague who lives near me. She needed to take her car in to have some things replaced and was asking to commute the next day with me. We got to talking about our meeting that day and how useful it was, etc. She went into a story about how she was late to her meeting because she hadn't gotten the agenda (which was sent out on school email). When I asked why she hadn't gotten the agenda, she replied, "I couldn't get into my email."

Confused, I asked, "What do you mean, 'you couldn't get your email'?"
The story that came next made me giggle!

Before leaving school the night before the big windstorm, we were asked to unplug all of our computers so that if the power went out and came back on, nothing would be ruined because of a power surge or something. My colleague had done this in her classroom and, for good measure, had unplugged the Internet connections as well.

So, after I asked what she meant, she said that she couldn't get her email because she had unplugged her computers at school.

ME: "But, you aren't logging on to your computer at school when you log on from home. You are logging on to the network! You can still get your email!"

Colleague: "Yes, but, I unplugged the Internet connections too!"

It took another 5 minutes of explaining to convince her that even though she had unplugged her Internet connections and computers at school, she would still be able to get her email from home by logging on to the network! My colleague, bless her heart, took it all in stride and was happy to have learned something new!

I learned to not take knowledge for granted!