Friday, September 07, 2007

Welcome to The 21st Century

Whew! Going to work (almost) every day is putting a dent in my blogging hobby! I don't have time to put together coherent sentences and all my thoughts seem to fly from my head when the day is over. I'm doing good to make sure the trash is taken out!

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Ten years ago. when I had my last real job (yes, Young Children's World was real but different) we had just gotten new Macs. At the time, Mac was the computer of choice for non-verbal communication (a la Stephen Hawkings) and we were using it to get our non-verbal kids to communicate. We were very careful with our precious new babies. We turned them off - we re-booted them constantly because it got us back where we wanted to be - I was afraid I would push the wrong button and lose everything! My partner was much more savvy and actually backed-up info. She was the authority.

At my last real job, we had lots of paperwork! It was done in triplicate with paper that had the carbon attached - you had to press down really hard. There were large files containing all the paperwork on all my students. They were kept in locked files that I had the key for and I added pieces of paper on a regular basis. Those pieces of paper were gone over with a fine-tooth comb by me, my supervisor, and, sometimes, the State of Alabama. All that paperwork was very important, dadgum it.

My new job is almost completely done on the computer - at the office or remotely. I spend most all of my day looking at a computer screen. We create new forms in Excel (not by hand, of course.) We add signature lines and keep 3 screens open at once. While working on one screen another will pop up with a phone call. Or someone telling everyone, at once, that there's food in the conference room.

It's all new for me. Thank goodness I started this blog 18 months ago or I would be completely lost!

Edited to add: My hubby tells me that I don't have 3 screens open at one time - I have 3 Windows open at once. Oh, whatever.....

2 comments:

Donna Ware said...

Phil would be so proud! Three computer screens at one time means you have crossed over into "geekdom"

love ya
Donna

Lisa said...

Whew! I hear ya girlfriend! I work in a library. Library means books, right?

WRONG! I spent at least half of my time on technology related issues. At *least*. Some of it I like, some of it makes me want to run back to the classroom and teach full time.

What are you doing these days?