Tech Log

Technology	Intended Purpose	Estimated Time Spent	Actual Time Spent
Computer	Work Related	2 hours	2.25 hours
	Teaching Classes	5 hours	6.5 hours
	Free time	2 hours	2.5 hours
Cell Phone	Contact friends	10 minutes	1 minute (text)6 min 38sec (talk)
Satellite Radio	News/Information	1 hour	48 minutes
Television	News/Entertainment	1 hour	1 hour watching1 hour on in background

Reflection: I spend too much of my free time on the computer, I also spend a lot of time on the computer with the television on in the background.  I would say if I wasn’t house hunting that I probably wouldn’t spend as much time online in the evening.  I could look in the newspaper for house listings but would be limited to the number of pictures I could view of the house and also quickly determining the location.  As for the news, I could also get that from the newspaper, but it wouldn’t be as up to date.  Also I can listen to the news on the radio while I drive, but I can’t read the newspaper and drive – but I’ve seen other people do it.

ETA: On this particular day, I ended up subbing two additional classes for a coworker so a time where I normally might not have been using my computer, I was because I was helping students with a project for this class that happened to be on the computer.  This might have skewed my numbers, but I do know if I had my planning period that day, I still would have spent a portion of that period using my computer for work related things.  I also gave a friend a ride to Towson and instead of listening to the radio for that portion of the ride, I turned it off and we talked instead (how novel!).

Even as I write this, I’ve got the television on in the background.  I like to use it as a way to take breaks from my work, I’m also a multi-tasker.  I’ll be checking my email, facebook, cell phone etc. just while working on something like this.  I don’t feel as if there is a negative impact of this as I can still write a blog entry that I think is fairly intelligent and do these other things to relieve my brain when necessary.

Bill wanted us to touch on some of the negative outcomes of our technology use.  I do think there are some, one is that it might be perceived that ‘m not giving my full attention to things if I am multi-tasking while doing them.  However, I think I have a good idea of when I need to make sure there are no distractions and when I can handle some.  Since I have been teaching, I‘ve also learned to tolerate more noise and can better drown out noises that may have bothered me in the past.  In addition to this, a potential negative outcome that is more physical is that I do feel as though my vision is worsening, however, I’d have a hard time attributing this only to technology and my use of it.  Me and 2 of my siblings sight started to get worse around the same time, starting my senior year of high school (1999).  So, it could very well be the hereditary issue.  In addition to this, I sometimes have wrist pain from using the touch pad on my laptop instead of the external mouse I am used to work with at work.

Another negative outcome is that I feel I might be too dependent on some of these technologies, like email and my cell phone.  I no longer have a land line at home and rely only on my cell phone.  With email, I am much more likely to send an email than make a phone call.  I do make a conscious effort to go to talk to coworkers rather than email them most of the time, unless it is something that I’d like to have in writing so that I can refer to it later.

I might be dependent on getting my news from satellite radio, but I don’t necessarily consider that a bad thing.  It allows me to be up to date on current events without giving up or finding time during the day by listening to it on the way to and from work.

In a few weeks I will go on a field trip with 24 7th graders to a house on the Chesapeake Bay, during this trip I will have no access to technology, we’re even asked to remove our watches.  We’re in the middle of no where with little to no cell service and absolutely no computers, it’s usually a nice little retreat away from technology…