My Journey Into Technology and Social Media
My first taste of the computer world came more than 30 years ago-yikes! First in the form of the now archaic typewriter, then, our first computer, a Commodore 64! It did not quite measure up to the neighbours Atari system, as far as gaming was concerned, but it was a computer none-the-less! To type words was a glorious satisfaction for me! I began keeping a favorite word list, when I was quite young! And the printer! Well, it was a monster of a thing, but what you typed, magically came out on the paper (as long as it didn’t get jammed!).
I never did take typing at school; instead, I engaged in the arts; drama, band, french. When word processing became the format for written homework, a new computer was soon in order. And everything got saved on a hard disk and a hard copy printed on the newer, fancier printer. My love of words and language was further stimulated by the fact that not only could you type and print the letters wit a pen or pencil, but that you could type, and print it, with several fonts on a computer! The rate that these tools have become obselete is mind boggling!
Currently, my own children, age 6 and 8, have never known a classroom without a computer! My daughter handed a project in this week, with mulitple fonts, printed in pink! And I did not teach her those things! I hope I have fostered her love of reading and language though; and perhaps I have as she said to me the other day, ‘hey mom, isn’t extraordinary a cool word?’ Huh.
Ok, I get it, I need to keep up with the times, both personally, and professionally. And why not? My late grandmother was using email and photography programs up until she passed away at age 83; what excuses do I have? Especially, since communication is my profession!
Well, I’m treading deeper into the realm of technology and social media! Email is essential for our family, as my children can communicate with their aunts, uncles, cousins and especially grandparents, both locally and out west. This has been a great way for my children to deepen their special ties with family we rarely see, but with whom we communicate often, using email and Skype! It is truly invaluable to see who you are talking to thanks to video calling.
So, I am hoping to transfer these valuable formats of communication from my personal life to my professional life! Email has become essential at work. Ater establishing and learning how to manage a website (this is definetly an ongoing process), I decided it was time to learn about blogging, which for now I will call ‘blabbering’ until I get the hang of it! Afterall, it is what I do!