David is our new and quite excellent Director of Educational Technology. Igor is the king of all hardware and software. I am the old teacher who recognizes that digital literacy may be harder for me . . . .
Dear David:
It may be that I've had an inordinate amount of tech difficulties -- perhaps for 6 years now, but certainly for these past couple of weeks -- because I actually try to use a lot of the technology, but I don't think I'm the least bit intuitive about how to navigate/negotiate/trouble-shoot it. And I'm never going to be intuitive about it. I'm always amazed at the solutions shared with me.
I DO try to follow directions, fix it myself, etc., sometimes, but often I have no idea what the problem is and no intuition about how to fix it. I think I am patient with the glitches -- ask Igor. And I'm generally told that the problem, "is not you, Greg, it's something weird with your" whatever it might be. (Ex.: No one seems to know how to permanently rid myself of the "Save this document" message from new Word docs. Having succeeded in the past, I followed the directions in Tech Cafe. Didn't work. Student tech crew member Lindsay worked on it last this summer. No avail. Michaela tried two weeks ago. No luck. ) I also remember or make note of how to fix many things. I also prioritize: what do I need fixed NOW and what can wait (Ex.: I've not asked Igor for help on the "Save this Document" conundrum. Not yet anyway. And another example: suddenly Ctrl-6 does not take me to my FC calendar, but to another one. This can wait.) Yet, I suspect others are more self-reliant and seem to know what to do.
I realize that the learning curve never flattens because the tech/software/whatever just keeps coming at us and once we master one thing, we're gonna have to move on to the next. Still, I have to wonder, why are we using Google docs when FC or Word seem perfectly suited to sending me a list? Even if things go as planned, I have to open an email, click on a link, sign in to something, then click on a document. Why not just give me the info in the body of the email?
I am an old teacher and while I'm willing to learn new tricks, and even enthusiastically engage these new tricks, I might not be as adept at it. I really don't think I'm the least bit intuitive about how to navigate/negotiate/trouble-shoot it. And as I noted, I am willing to commit to tech for tech's sake just to develop the proficiency necessary for imaginative use of tech. And I know that in order to realize the benefits of some new tech (and I gather Google docs is fairly new, at least to some of us at Urban), then there will be some stumbling. And I know that in my role here as an older teacher and a recent Admin member, I have to sort of set an example in attitude and engagement with tech. I never, ever badmouth tech with other faculty members or students.
But what I need now that classes have started, insofar as it's no longer summer and no longer faculty workshop week, is stuff that does not require a too-lengthy bit of trouble-shooting. The kids are here now and I need time to teach and assess.
g
