Running head: DAILY COMPUTER USAGE 1

Module 1 – Daily Computer Usage

Joel D. Mitchell

Grand Canyon University

TEC509

September 9, 2009
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Daily Computer Usage

As a citizen of the 21st century, my life is immersed in technology, and I depend on every

bit of this technology. It is the lifestyle I have chosen, and I am the product of the input and

output that each computer affords. Every moment of my life is leveraged on the idea that I am

implementing technology that makes me more efficient in my work and personal life.

Unfortunately, when that technology fails, the result is time lost and productivity reduced. As

the Technology Coordinator of a Lutheran school, I work with computers more than most

educators, but I also access technology like most Americans do on a daily basis.

It starts in the morning with the digital alarm clock, as I have programmed the previous

evening to wake me in the early hours of the morning. On particularly humid Houston

mornings, I rise to program the digital thermostat to a lower temperature to cool the house down.

My son’s breakfast is warmed by the microwave programmed for one-touch cooking. My

personal computer is turned on to check weather and road conditions (sometimes to check the

football highlights), and the occasional e-mail from my principal. With a quick check of the

embedded computer in my cellular phone, I know if I missed a call from a parent during the

night. At 6:45 a.m., the kids and I are loaded into the car, where digital stations on the radio

allow me to switch quickly between four sports talk stations. My daughter and son engage

themselves with a respective iPod Touch and Nintendo DS in the back seat of the car. The

commute begins, and I listen to the radio and watch information billboards for deals on cars and

possible highway problems. As vehicles pass, some drivers use GPS technology to help get

them to their destination using the most direct route.

Before I arrive at school, a quick stop by the local banking branch allows me to withdraw

money from the ATM for my son’s class field trip. We pull into the parking lot of school, and
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while exiting the car, I remotely locking it as we walk inside. The fob on my keychain allows

me to swipe the card scanner for an earlier entrance than other parents. As I leave my kids, I

make my way to the school office and brace myself for the “Hey Joel” list; as teachers see me,

they mention technology issues that have arisen since the previous school day. On the way out

the door, I check the Security Camera monitor to make certain it has refreshed overnight. In my

office in the Computer Lab, I log on to my administrative computer, check e-mail for any other

“Hey Joel” items, verify the servers have sent out the proper scripts to start up computers in the

lab, double-check my lesson plans for the day, and print out any grade sheets for academically

challenged students. A quick trip to the copier for double-sided printing of a study guide is all

that is left.

The morning bell system rings to indicate classes have started for the day. During the

day, LCD projectors for PowerPoint presentations, response clickers for instant feedback, and

SMART pads as a substitute for SMART boards are computers that I strive to use daily to bring

more technology into the classroom. I am thankful that each of the 130 computers on campus

will not need one-on-one support on a daily basis. However, hardware and software

installations, general troubleshooting, and basic maintenance allow me to handle a dozen desktop

computers in a single day. Students are able to log into lab PCs to use ExamView for test-taking

opportunities, as well as using Office applications for assignments. Netbooks are deployed to the

elementary school students. Requests to allow certain websites require that I change the settings

on the proxy server. Phone calls to parents are easy enough when using a smart phone that has

synced contacts from Outlook 2007.

After I return home in the evening, I often find my wife on the main house computer, and

my daughter and son on their own PCs, which leave me the laptop to use to finish the day’s
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work. A quick jaunt on a MMORPG usually relieves stress. The DVR is consulted to make

certain that television shows have been recorded. The home alarm is set right before retiring to

bed.

As mentioned, I depend on every bit of technology around which I center my life. There

are varying levels of dependence, as some pieces are more vital than others, but each piece

allows me to operate on a day-to-day basis. Any of the computers that do not deliver the

appropriate output after being given the appropriate input truly do hamper my day directly and

indirectly. It directly affects me by causing mismanagement in time, communication, commerce,

work-related productivity, transportation, and security. Indirectly, the inconveniences can range

from minor annoyances to certain points of the day where I am sometimes pulled from the

classroom to deal with a critical issue. That being said, an argument could be made of relating

to students and grabbing attention during an anticipatory set when references to games and pop

culture are made. Sometimes I use the results from “American Idol” as a focus for teaching

about databases.

As a 21st century citizen of a country rife with informational technology, I believe my life

is centered around computers. All it takes is to be a victim of Hurricane Ike to realize how

quickly my diet of technology can be cut off, as my lifestyle is regressed several decades back in

time. I feel that computers will take an even greater role in my life and the lifes of the students I

teach, as I continue my job as an educator. As for my experience, all it takes is a power outage

to see how depend I am.

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References