So here's a random thing that happened today...I was searching for educational blogs and said to myself, I need a piece of paper to write these down and grabbed my mouse and opened Word! So, Word has become my virtual piece of paper and a mouse and keyboard are my 'writing utensils'. I agree that the energy use to run computers can impact our carbon footprint. So how do we find balance between using computers and paper? Is there a balance to be found?
I find that I don't read books and get my news from the internet. I hardly ever write using a pen anymore (I worry I will forget cursive!) instead use my computer to write notes to myself, email reminders to my home email, and generally use it for almost all of my communications. I even started texting my family lately. As someone that was born at the end of the baby boom, I am fascinated and terrified of technology. My husband, an old hippie barely knows how to use his cell phone. A co-worker of mine hates technology and says he only uses his computer when he has to. I am fascinated by this because he tends to be introverted, one would think a relationship with a computer would be comfortable for him. As someone that tends to prefer extroversion, I love to use technology. One would think that an extrovert would not enjoy the solitary pursuit of technology. Although, blogging could be a very extroverted exercise.
Gioia,
ReplyDeleteI also love electronic communication, prefer it even. I also have friends, that swear on it, lol. I love the collaborative way a wiki can bring us all together and even more personable sometimes than in person.
Interesting that you see technology as a "solitary pursuit".
ReplyDeleteI have long wished to put my computer on solar power so I can say I'm computing green. Will it be today?
ReplyDeleteI was shocked when I learned that my 11yr old did not know how to write in cursive, and that it didn't seem to be an issue with the school system. Is this the new curriculum? Using the hands to write, talk, draw and doodle has been shown to aid brain function. Our hands are second only to the Grey Matter in number of sensory receptors connected. Is text-typing aiding us in the same ways - it seems more mechanical.
ReplyDeleteThatcher - wow! I am stunned that cursive is not taught in grammar school. I have become so lazy and hardly ever write but I can't imagine not knowing cursive. And I agree, using your hands for creative things, drawing, writing, whatever is really important to your brain. I wonder if there have been any studies on whether not writing is making our kids less creative.
ReplyDelete