9/16/09 "language" and R/W tools

As I mentioned last week, I am  of  the "Digital Immigrant" era. I also speak with the "accent" but I am working hard to lose it. Losing it is not very hard these days and I don't mean the accent. I feel fortunate, in fact, down right blessed to have two teenage daughters who help me speak the "language" a little bit better. Teen years are not easy for students and adults or parents and adults. In fact, it is not easy to speak their language let alone a technology language.  I also feel fortunate to already work in a school so hearing the"language" is not foreign to me. I sometimes have moments of being "cool" because I am at least aware of the technology and wanting to learn about it. I slipped a little today and left my daughter hanging because I failed to check my home email after school. Since I did not check my email she went to her soccer practice and it was canceled (by email). I usually check the email if the weather is bad???? I felt terrible but what surprised me most was that no one texted her as they have in the past. Was someone other than myself disconnected? The Net Generation truly relies on technology and are always connected.....but not me today.

I thought I was getting so much better, too. 

I have to say I was not that surprised with the results of the graphs in chapter 7-Convenience, Communications, and Control:How Students Use Technology.  Being college students I was not surprised that they spent the most time using technology for school purposes and then for   communication and music . I did fall within the thought patterns of the Boomers from time to time as I read the chapters. I think it is OK if my perspective is not always the same as other students. I think we can all learn from each other. We are here to help each other grow as long as we are all willing to.

As far as generations and technology go, what we see in today's technology will be equivalent to landlines, mechanical pencils, and mainframe computers. What is funny about young people is that they may see middle aged people (like myself) as old, uncool and so yesterday but their matter of fact world and "language" of CD's, text messaging, blogging and cell phones will be a thing of the past as time goes on and it always does. There are many moments in our lives that we don't think we are speaking the same language but in the end we do. We are just not here on earth long enough to enjoy the sound.

Now lets see if I know some of the terminology in the technology "language" such as Google Docs. Have I ever used a Google Doc? I have to say no, I don't believe I have. I have an email account but don't have gmail. I don't have a lot of opportunity to work cooperatively on spreadsheets and presentations on line, so I'll have to say no to that experience. I do like the concept and I do like that you can choose who accesses your documents and that you can publish within your company. I think this is an excellent Read/Write tool. I would like to try it sometime.

Everything I have learned (while working in the elementary and middle school) about Wiki has not been very good. The librarians  have warned our students to stay away from http://wikipedia.org because other people can edit it and can put anything on it.

A Read Write program that I was not that familiar with was Flickr and Buzznet. I have used picasa and seen kodak gallery. We have gotten some beautiful and fun pictures out of picasa. I was also unaware of streaming videos and using them in the classroom. There is so much to learn and just when I think I am keeping up many more advances will have been made.