I would fall in the visitor category of visitor in Dr. White's analysis of the internet's residents and visitors. I never used the internet on a daily basis until a couple of years ago. I only stopped paying my bills by mail not long after I learned how to attach a file to an e-mail. I am confident in my abilities now that I can admit in early as 2010, I did not know how to attach a file to an e-mail. That being said, once I realized that it was useful and made my life easier, I had no trouble learning the ways of the super highway.
This is probably most evident in that I have been playing fantasy basketball on Yahoo since 2005. I learned ways to maximize my roster so I had the most amount of players every week, yet I knew little else. It was useful and fun because 10-15 of my friends would be in these leagues. I even learned how to trash talk on the rumor mill (blogs for teams).
Now that I have emerged from my cave I am finding it very easy to adapt and learn to new internet tools. For my PACT I never touched a scanner to upload student assessments and lesson plan materials. I downloaded a PDF converter on my phone, learned how to use it in 5 minutes and saved time while making my work look organized and aesthetically pleasing.
I like being a visitor. It gives me the freedom to come and go as I please. I do not feel like I am missing out on anything if I am unable to get on the internet for a day or two. However, now that I have e-mail on my phone I am upset on how dependent I am on it.
Like you, I am an Internet visitor. I have never really had a reason to make a strong presence on the web, but I'm excited to use this tool to connect with my students. I think it is great that you are getting more familiar with these tools! Don't feel bad about getting connected to your gadgets; for now, I'm sure it will be beneficial.
ReplyDeleteGabe, I can relate to your feeling of not wanting to be dependent on technology. I find it somewhat intrusive to be expected to be "available" anytime and any where. For me, having healthy boundaries when it comes to my professional and personal life is important to maintain a quality of life that I am content with. I do see a great value in the tools we are learning to use, and I am looking forward to learning how to use these tools in order to be the most effective educator that I can be.
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