For me technology is another play tool--a powerful one but a tool nonetheless. I am one of those who shakes her head everytime she sees a "connected" family on an outing-Dad and mom on cell phones. 1 child texting another gaming another ipod stricken. I worry about language and correct grammar and civility--yes manners are still important so is spelling, and that is what is so funny about technology and "social networking." We are indeed creating connections. We are bonding, but the quality of that bonding is inherently different. I used to curtsy whenever I met an adult. I wore white gloves and went to dancing school. I hated it all but it seems we had so much more "face" time not "facebook" time. Now I can learn to dance from YouTube. I do not "blame" technology but I want to ensure that our children know how to speak to one another and to others without that mediation.
End of "soapbox" rant.
So here is an example of how I "play" with technology: I logged on to OCL webthings challenge blog and accessed The 20 Things to Watch doc. I was intrigued by #5 Scrapbooking. I actually do the paper,scissors and glue stick kind. This refers to technology on the web that allows you to research across databases while it captures and stores full text and citations for use at a later date. I wanted to know more so I googled "scrapbooking technology" and yup that was not helpful. I happened to mention this to a colleague and she said oh yeah RefWorks does that. BINGO--face time!! My coworker told me it had some limitations so I decided to figure out what "category" of technology this kind of software fit in. BINGO wikipedia called RefWorks a "citation manager" and I was OFF like greased lightning. BUT before I launched myself I remember a technology colleague having emailed some time ago about some cool Firefox extension that did some of this "scrapbooking" so I went to my Outlook sorted by name and BINGO there it was ZOTERO. I went from A to Z didn't I? I got the answers--which was simply satisfying a curiosity- I was looking for and I HAD FUN!!!
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5 comments:
Very cool. I'll have to look into this "scrapbooking" technology, though at the moment am not sure when I will have use for it.
As for your soapbox rant, I will agree that it drives me nuts to see parents on cell phones and kids set in front of dvds, gameboys, etc. And yet I'm an avid techie. I've made the faux pas of checking my email on my phone while at dinner with friends. I dislike this behavior, but I can understand where the compulsion seeps in and the thinking and "connecting" creeps out.
Great post, Miss Pea! All these techno-communication ports create a new form of anxiety where you start to think that if you are not connected, you are out of the loop, kicked out of the In Crowd, and you will Never. Catch. Up. Also, things like iPods are great barriers that sullen tween and teens can use to avoid awkward social contact. Good for them(and maybe even us?) in the short term, but what about the social fabric? Lots to ponder!
It always breaks my heart when I see a teen listening to an Ipod at the Albert Music Hall, or a kid playing their portable Nintendo game in the glorious fields of the Philadelphia Folk Festival. And don't even get me started about cell phones and dinner time--I still remember the meal I had prepared for my young vegetarian anarchist friends that was peppered with electronic interuptions. But then again, I'm the Luddite who keeps my phone turned off unless I have to make a call.
Love the site, Miss Pea, and so identify with your rant. Not one to throw out babies with bath water (what a horrid visual, but it makes the point), I find that we are still in the growing pains of technology in a way. How do we use all this great stuff, but use it responsibly, including the when-and-where of it. If adults are interrupting dinner to take business calls, how are teens to behave any different? And many parents, sadly, prefer to have their kids engaged with something electronic so removing the burden from them to interact with their own child.
On the positive side, and kind of cute, I have seen technology aid an otherwise shy teen to communicate with a crush they are too awkward to face. Texts may fly fast and furious and help break the ice for some young people, technology becoming the new Cyrano de Bergarac!
Words of wisdom... You are so insightful and I could not agree more!
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