Technology and Online Learning

I love technology and could play with it all day. At first I studiously avoided technology. Computers were for the young. I was 33 years old and pastoring my first church. Servicing the church's laser copier was enough for me. Computers were for the young. I would stick to my electric typewriter. I produced a weekly newsletter by typing it and then physically cutting and pasting it. To add pictures, I used half-toning screen. (Let's see if anyone is old enough to remember that technology)

My first experience with computing was in 1991 with an electronic typewriter that had memory. I could actually type an entire letter, proof it, and then have the typewriter type it! It could store multiple letters so I could actually save form letters. I was amazed.

In 1992 I joined the staff of a large church. They used computers and I had to learn. I asked another associate pastor to teach me. He gave me a cassette tape to go with the PageMaker tutorial. I fired up the Mac Plus, with it's powerful 20 MB hard drive, and began to learn how to click and drag. Thus I came, kicking and screaming into the computer age. It wasn't long before I added a 40 MB external hard drive and I was off and running as a techie, teaching new comering staff members how to use the mac.

As much as I am now a lover of technology, I am also a face to face person. If Education 505 has taught me anything, it is that I prefer my give and take in real time in the real world. In the future, I will attempt to leave cyber learning to others.