My youngest aunt bought me and my brother our first computer back in 1999. I was in 4th grade while my brother was in 3rd grade and we were extremely elated. When we received Internet (accessed through the web browser called Netscape), it became apparent that the computer was consuming our communication with others…especially because in order to access the World Wide Web, the ability to call our friends and extended family members would be diminished due to dial-up connection services!
This event was memorable because I remember having continuous conversations with my brother about how this new piece of technology worked. There was so much learning happening on a regular basis!
Two questions:
- Dial-up connection seemed to have caused two communicative technologies (i.e. phone and Internet) to contradict each other, in that you could only use one or the other. Anybody find this interesting?
- Do people approach new digital technologies in the same ways today?
Hi Gloria,
Some of the instructors and students I worked with in Alberta over the last five years lived in rural communities, and only had access to the internet via dial-up connection. It was very challenging for them, as they needed regular, reliable access to the internet, specifically to work within our LMS or participate in Blackboard Collaborate sessions.
Elizabeth
I was having a conversation about dial-up Internet with my grade 8/9 students shortly before the Christmas Break when we were examining communication around the world, and it took awhile for me to first get them to understand how dial-up worked, and then to explain that cell phones weren’t a commonality at the time, so you couldn’t talk on your cell phone, play a video game, and have half of your family doing the same thing at the same time. They found it really interesting after about a half-hour of me trying to help them understand.
Gloria,
I really enjoyed reading your “technology memory”. The image of you and your brother exploring (aka “playing”) with the computer gives such a neat vision of learning and education. The discovery, the novelty and the opportunity to bounce off ideas with another all seem to contribute to the quality of the experience.
In regards to your second question, I can attest that my own children interact with new technology very similarly to the way you and your brother interacted with your first computer. When they bought their own iPADs and started putting Apps and games onto them, there was (and continues to be) a steady conversation of discovery, narration and planning. With any new addition or discovery in relation to their iPADs, there is definitely heightened conversations. Perhaps the key is to have someone present with whom to share all the thoughts and ideas that percolate when discovering new technology.
I can hear the dial-up connection as I read your post. It’s distinctive tone is a reminder of connecting to the phone line and those early conversations too. Siblings can be important educators where technology is concerned-something to think about when designing experiences, Samia