There are times I feel I am too connected. I have my Smartphone that gets email (personal, LUO, and work) and voice mail. It can receive faxes, and browse the Internet, among a whole host of other applications. This does not include my work laptop and personal laptop. W
With six children in our home, someone is usually wanting to be connected in some way, shape, or form. Some of us use Facebook to stay in touch with family and friends. I love to check out the local and state news sites, as well as look up recipes and search for information on topics of interest. One of my husband's favorite hobbies is working on antiques, especially furniture. When he finds an old radio or other piece, he will have one of us search the Internet to see if we can find out information on the piece. One day, he came home with what looked like an old wall telephone, like the one in Ike Godsey's store in The Waltons. It was really a radio! We were able to look it up online to date the piece and get some history of the company. After my husband worked on it a bit, it is now operational and has a good sound for one so old.
One thing I like about cellphones is the ability to stay in touch with others. My older children help out by picking up the middle schoolers after school. This keeps them from having to ride a bus for two hours after school and saves me a trip to town. Not to mention extra fuel. One day, we had a technology breakdown! My daughter decided to stay after school to get some extra hours for her cosmetology program. She sent my son a text asking him to pick up the middle schoolers. When he didn't respond, she called him. Then, she called me because his phone was going straight to voice mail. I tried several time with no success, so I started getting ready for an unplanned trip to town. Just as I was getting ready to load up the twins and go to town, he arrived home. We checked and his phone was on, but it could not receive calls, even after a restart. He finally placed a call from the phone, and it started working. We decided it must have been the custom ROM he flashed onto the phone that morning. While he got some features he wanted, the technology "upgrade" caused us some issues. I did get our middle schoolers from school, and they were safe and sound.
Back to the six children using technology -
Even with a laptop for them to use and a tablet, not everyone gets as much computer time as desired. We have to take turns, and I have to run someone off the laptop so my high school daughter can work on her virtual classes. Sometimes, I have to tell one, or more, of them they have had enough computer time. Finding balance is a challenge!
We have to make sure to build in time together; if we let it, technology can interfere with family time. Last week, we went to the movies to see Courageous. That was rare treat because tickets for eight people are expensive. Then, our local churches had a youth gathering on Saturday afternoon. All of us were there, and most of us helped our church prepare and serve food for attendees. Our teenage sons were involved with trash detail. It was an amazing time! With technology, I could keep in touch with our children through texting and cell phone calls.
Another advantage of technology is my calendar. I used to never be able to keep track of activities and appointments. I find syncing my Outlook calendar with my Google calendar, which is also synced with my phone, is essential. If it's not in my calendar, I am apt to forget it!
Technology can be a blessing or a curse. When it gets to be too much, we sometimes have to step back and reassess.
Kimberly, I can completely sympathize on how sometimes you can feel too connected to technology. Smart phones are a great example – they can practically do everything! The ability to check email, access Liberty online, text, take pictures, access the internet, etc. can make anyone feel they are too connected. It can be a double edge sword – imagine not having that easy access? Sometimes I feel like I am too dependent on my smart phone, so much where browsing the internet on a laptop vice a smart phone seems outdated. My wife talked me into getting us the Motorola Xoom tablet. In my opinion, the tablet is a larger version of my smart phone. It does make it easier to read news/sports/etc. As I was writing my blog post on this topic, I came to the conclusion that the technology I use every day for personal use provides me an excellent capability to stay informed/connected. I enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteWill, I invested in a Xoom, too! My children love it! I do, too, and it relieves some of the competition for computer time. One application I'd like to see for Androids is the capability to attend Elluminate sessions. I can access GoToMeeting from my smartphone and the Xoom, with limited capabilities, but I have to access our Elluminate meeting via a laptop. That would make my life a lot easier!
ReplyDeleteI understand how being too connected can be a bit much at times too. I have become dependent upon my phone, texting, email, internet, and technology in the classroom. Last year we had a glitch at the main server and went two days without our internet at school. I could not have the student to access Blackboard, get on the internet, or use any video footage. I realized then how much I planned my lessons using technology. My students even noticed and were very thankful when we could return to business as usual. I evaluated my use of technology and decided that it was a dependency, but it was having a favorable outcome. So, I have decided that I am ok with my technology use and have continued to pursue it in the class to the maximum amount. When I feel a bit overwhelmed in my personal life, which happens from time to time, I just turn off the phone, forget Facebook, and read a nice book unrelated to school.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, I think I went to school with you at WHS. It looks like you have been blessed with a wonderful family and life. It truly is a small world :)