Post #2 (Reflections About Technology)

Right now, I am feeling more curious than ever about using technology, and less inhibited by my fears of looking foolish--or breaking something. I am also newly curious, because where I was once judgmental about the overuse (so I thought/think) of technology, I now see it as opportunities for new freedoms. "Freedoms" might mean making life, or a task, easier, more accessible, more mobile, or "freedom" may mean expanding choices or opportunities for self-expression.

I am old enough to have once thought "I don't need to learn how to use a computer. I don't like the idea of it, and I will get along fine without it." (old-timey is cool!) But then college and employment began to prove otherwise. So, partially (or maybe mostly) out of stubbornness and ego (fear of looking clueless), I continued to resist the idea of technology, though in reality, it was slowly leeching into my life. And though I still don't understand the level of psychological, financial, and social sacrifice offered by so many in the modern world, I am finally truly interested in learning more about technology. Much of this new curiosity comes from the context of teaching, and looking for new ways to reach my students, and assist them in the process of becoming independent. Because I work with young adults, and also because I work with young adults on the autism spectrum, I am facing unique challenges: how to become relevant, how to motivate, how to connect, how to communicate, how to prepare...

Through these attempts, I have learned--and am comfortable with, but not as adept as I'd like to be--Power Point, Internet, blogs, Word, bubble maps, you tube, simple photographing, using a video recorder (old fashioned tapes), cartooning sites, and more. I feel that because I have simply figured these things out as I went along, for survival's sake, that I am missing out on a lot. I would love to learn about all the things I have never heard of, such as a "wiki." What is a "wiki?" I am extremely excited about this class, mostly for professional purposes, but for personal as well. I think I will feel comfortable admitting to what I don't know, and asking for assistance when I need it. (This is something that is much more difficult for me to do at work--I feel like an impostor.)