Kicking and Screaming into the 21st Century

On Tuesday I used a Bluetooth for the first time. Oregon only allows hands-free use of cell phones while driving, so Mark and I bought the gizmo for ourselves--Merry Christmas to us! I kind of have the hang of it. Not sure I would know how to answer a call if one came in, but I successfully called two of the kids on my way to my PSU class. I even used a voice command to "dial" the numbers.

(Hahaha - no, I don't look that cool when I use it.)

[Do kids today ever wonder why we say "dial"--signifying something circular--when we speak of entering the correct digits in order to call someone? Anyone out there remember the old dial phones? Remember how your finger almost got sore if someone's number had lots of 8s and 9s?]

Mark and I upgraded to new cell phones last week. I still can't figure out how to get all my messages. I'm working on it.

We're talking about getting a Wii fit. [I realize that the Wii is no longer a new-fangled gadget to many people. But still...] In order to make that work...if we get one...we moved the television back into the living room last week. I have mixed feelings about that. So far it hasn't taken over our lives. [I realize that a television is not a "21st century" innovation. But moving it into my living room might be.]

I do love my iPod touch. It has completely replaced the paper-pencil calendar I always carried in my purse. The iPod allows Mark and me to share calendars all the time--I never want to go back to any other way of keeping track of our comings and goings.

Another thing I love about the iPod touch--Mark and I use them for reading scriptures right before bed. Then it stays on my nightstand all night, and if I wake up and can't sleep, it's so easy to read a little more without having to turn on a light and bother him. My scripture app lets me read in "night" mode, so it hardly makes any light at all.

A couple of years ago my high school started installing "SMART Boards" in some of the classrooms. The math teachers loved them. I couldn't imagine using one in an English classroom. Haha! Now I use one every day, and I can't imagine having to go back to teaching without one. This morning I "clicked" on the board to show the class a youtube video about the Modoc war, for background info on the book we were reading. So high tech. It really does help keep the kids' attention.

Here's a cool little video about SMART Boards, in case you haven't seen one in a classroom.

I could go on and on some more, but I won't. The technology is so ubiquitous now; it permeates nearly every aspect of my life. It's helpful and useful. But thinking about all this makes me want to pack a lunch and get out in the woods for a hike.