IT Frustrations and Saintly Teachers

Well, it's been a quite awhile since we've begun this and I have fairly little to show for it. Its not that I don't find some of things things interesting but... well, I not always able to see a vision on how to use this given the technology situation at my school and, quite frankly, playing on the computer can be very time consuming. I wish that we could spend more time in class working through some of these projects. Its nice that while we are in class, we can ask for help if we get stuck. Once I get home, I know I don't want to spend the time to work through problems with making things work when I know that someone else can help me in a couple of minutes.

I also have to admit, that although I use the internet and play on my computer a lot, I have some issues with all of this technology stuff in general. Its amazing how much the internet has opened up our world, but then its amazing how in some regards the internet has closed off our world. I am quite certain that the time I spend on the internet could be used more productively no matter what I'm doing online. The truth of the internet is that it is a virtual world. All the Facebook and MySpace and YouTube and Podcasts in the world can never replace face to face contact. I believe that we have sacrificed a great deal of real-world experiences in exchange for virtual experiences. Or, maybe more accurately, we are not provided nearly enough time to plan and once I get home (which I always make sure is at a reasonable time) working a long time to lay out things for my students to do on the internet when I still need to figure what I will have them do the next day.

On a fairly different note I just wanted to vent a little on what it means to take on the identity of a teacher. Talk of Facebook and MySpace has reminded me of how frustrating it can be sometimes that teachers are expected to take on identities of saints. We still carry around this aura of not been real people. We work hard to protect our students and their parents from our personal lives. We made to be ashamed of ever going to a bar or a bowling or even dinner and partaking in alcohol. We are not supposed to admit to having real life friends that we may spend time at a party with. We are far too mature to waste our time on social networks or even to play video games. We never, ever swear or listen any music or movies with swearing. We are denied the right to do anything besides be married, work on perfecting our homes and raise our children. Or who knows, maybe I really am just immature... either way, right now my secret life is making me weary...