Quiet Days

Some days are busy. Wednesday morning, I got up at 6, got to work by about 7, and had two labs in the morning. The labs kept me busy and mostly on my feet, though I sat down sometimes to talk with groups of students at various stations in the lab.

After the labs, I had a short break (less than an hour) to clear the lab and eat my lunch. Then I gave a test. Our tests are now on computers, and we do have the occasional glitch in downloading or opening the tests. I had to call IT yesterday to help a student, because I didn't know how to fix her glitch.

I can't follow the progress of the students from my computer with our testing software. I only see when they have finished and uploaded their test. It's not a very exciting way to spend the time, at least until the uploads start coming in. Then I can see how my students did on the test, and watch their reactions when I share their scores with them.

My only time on the computer or Internet yesterday was a little bit of googling during the labs, printing my rosters and the lab worksheet, and proctoring the test. Only. How long ago was it that there was no Internet? And how long ago that getting on the Internet was a rare event?

Now, even on days when I'm busy, I spend time on a computer or other electronic devise with a screen. Tests are given on computers. Power Points are computer-based. School records are all in the cloud. If we were more sophisticated here, we would have video of short lectures on certain topics for our students to watch on their own before coming to class to work on written assignments on their laptops or tablets. I can even envision a time in the intermediate future when algorithms will create these videos with animations, and devise tests and quizzes for class work, eliminating the need for a professor. I doubt that will happen before I reach retirement age, but it could if America decided to put more resources into education.

On my busy days, like yesterday, although I spend time on a computer, I don't get to social media. Today, I did. I looked at Facebook. It seems the world got on without me. I didn't have any messages waiting. I don't post much on Facebook, just click likes and make comments on posts I see, so I don't often get comments and messages. I write here, sometimes taking shots at the embryonic data gods, wondering if they will actually ever exist and notice my comments, but so far, all is quiet in my electronic neighborhood. Perhaps, unlike us carbon-based lifeforms, the algorithms are capable of focusing only on important issues, and are not distracted or enraged by silly insults. That could make for a boring conversation. Yes, you tiny, little algorithms, you are boring.

Can I live without electronic interaction anymore? I don't think I will test that any time soon.