The Victorian Internet and Today


After reading The Victorian Internet, I  learned a key lesson that I often forget:

Technology is a new tool invented for the efficiency of daily life - it doesn’t have to be associated with electricity, wifi, or touch screens. As humans, we learn to determine whether or not it is beneficial for our race and adapt to our lifestyle.

When I think about items that make my life more “efficient”, I oftentimes forget (or don’t even know) about the history behind the invention. Where did it come from? How did it evolve? Who was involved? Just like the story of the telegraph, there is so much that goes into the technology we have in our hands today. 

I work at a cloud computing company, and I often forget that the work of the developers and engineers is innovative and does lead to new processes and applications that make our country run more effectively and efficiently. Even something small as creating an application nowadays can make our lives easier...and it’s overwhelming to think how all of our inventions and technology will evolve. 

As I grow in my practice, I can’t wait to see how I will have to shift my actions to blend with technology. When I was a teacher, I was lucky to have a class set of laptops, and it made life so much easier. I could demo Google Classroom with my students. We could type in class without having to worry about resources or doubling the work (by writing and typing the same thing). As a talent developer, I’m lucky that my company has Gsuite where we can use Google Classroom. We also have great applications for communication such as Slack or Google Hangouts. All of these things allow for us to work like a well-oiled machine, and it helps me provide professional development help OR conduct a session.  

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Comments

  1. PHD-HairmanOctober 3, 2019 at 10:21 AM

    I agree that when used properly it it a great tool, BUT I see a lot of educators using technology as a babysitting devise, or are intimidated to use it. I teach a CTE class which is very hands on, but I use technology to engage my learners and help them see how technology can help build their business.

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  2. Caitlin CordovaOctober 4, 2019 at 7:38 AM

    As I read your first sentences, I thought of "life hacks," new ways of using familiar tools to make our lives more efficient. (Here's an article with some examples: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/100-life-hacks-that-make-life-easier.html). Are educators using technology as a hack, or shortcut, around a lengthy or undesirable process to improve learning or to substitute something with no real change? For example, posting a worksheet as a Google Doc in Google Classroom instead of passing out a paper one. In Google Classroom, I can check on student progress in real-time and give quick feedback via the Suggestion or Comment features. If I'm using the Doc as a tool to improve the learning process, then I am meeting my process goals (building/constructing/sharing knowledge). If I'm using the Doc as busywork and give no feedback, then I am providing a babysitting experience. Tech used correctly can be innovative, but used incorrectly can be Paleolithic. :D

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