Right now my feelings toward this class are quite mixed. My comfort with technology has always been strong, just as long as the conversation didn't get too technical. Well, guess what? It got technical! When the conversation turns from how to use it, to how it works, my stomach churns a little. I have always learned as much as I could about the "how to use it" but shied away from learning too much about how the technology worked. I want to clarify that this isn't because I don't want to know the specifics of how to the tools that I love using actually work, but more so because just becoming confident in using them is a process in itself. Learning the components of a tool or piece of software, options I have with each, how to implement it in my class, is it a teacher tool, student/teacher tool, or a student tool, and countless other questions, plus the other day-to-day thoughts and concerns with my students and lessons. I welcome the chance to learn more about the bones of the tools that I have come to love to use in my teaching, but also overwhelmed with the amount of new information that is constantly pouring into my brain.
The virus investigation was interesting for me because I am a Mac user who has been one of those people who thought, "it's a Mac, it can't get a virus." It was shocking to see how many antivirus programs are out there for a computer that is pretty safe when it comes to viruses. I also feel more knowledgeable when it comes to the amount of virus protection options there are for PC's, should we chose to purchase a PC the next time we are in the market. Norton has always been the protection of choice, but looking back on it, mostly due to the lack of knowledge on other products and simply trusting the product without doing much additional research on quality, performance, or other options.
I feel the same way, Jess. All of this computer talk scares me! I know I need to become more aware of what I am using and the technology behind it, but I feel like I know way less than most of the class does about computer hardware.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the security software goes.... I have always just used the standard Norton because I was afraid to try something new. I am excited to try some of the new ideas people have as well as start to become more proactive in keeping my files safe!!!