Technology in My Life this Week

I've been thinking about technology and how it improved my life in various ways this week. Yesterday's completion of an overdue task in a wireless internet cafe with a good cup of coffee still amazes me (a sign of my age I'm sure). Sitting at a table in Morganton, I searched the library at Appalachian, uploaded a couple of articles to my home directory, created new links on my webpage, and emailed students in seven different locations simultaneously with the update info. In my own academic career once upon a time, I would have gone searching through the library physically, and it would likely have taken 3-4 times as long to find what I needed. I would have photocopied the article, taken it to a copy center to get copyright permission and multiple copies for class, and students would not have gotten the information the same day. I would have had a paper syllabus, made fewer changes as discoveries were made, and communicated with students only in my office. I see all these uses of technologies as benefitting my teaching, my students' learning, and our communication.

My youngest son is struggling with a new piece that he is to have memorized by Friday. No one else in our home plays a musical instrument, so we couldn't help him. Hugs are nice, but they don't play the tune on c0mmand Friday. We telephoned my sister, who plays and teaches violin, viola, and piano. She talked my son through his difficulties, he's had a great week, and life is good because expertise in Duluth, GA could be connected to a need in Boone. I'm willing to bet there are musicians and other skilled people providing virtual instruction in more elaborate and interactive ways. Imagine, e.g., sitting at your piano taking a lesson from your teacher via video and audio teleconferencing. The teacher can show you new skills, listen to you play, provide feedback. The power of making expertise instantly or simulataneously accessible to remote locations or to low-incidence populations or to a class spread across half the state is a remarkable gift.