The Only Constant With Technology Is Change

I have the privilege of teaching basic computer skills to the unemployed and the working poor during my evenings, four days a week. There are two classes, one that is more than halfway through the ten week instruction period and one that is at the beginning.

All of the people who are in my classes are bright, intelligent students.

They are eager to learn.

In my opinion, all of them will be able to learn enough skills to be able to type a letter and a resume on the computer which is the main objective of the classes.

Think about that.

Think about the technology skills that most of us take for granted as we go about our daily tasks.

Working with technology is primarily a matter of access and experience. You must have access to a computer with reasonably current versions of the software to be able to learn.

You must be able to receive enough instruction whether on your own or in a class to gain experience.

One of the things I stress to my students is not a computer skill, but a life skill.

It is vital to “learn-how-to-learn.”

The only constant with technology is that it changes. Software updates have SLOWED down to upgrading about every 18 months. (When I started in the computer industry, I was learning new versions of the software every 3 to 6 months.)

It is possible to keep up with the change by creating a pattern of learning. There are similarities between the majority of software programs. Use the items that are same such as creating a new document, opening an existing document, saving and printing, as a stepping stone to any new version of the software.

As you master a software program, you will gain experience that will help you with any other programs that you wish to learn.

Our current technology is represented by our computers today. These computers are at their most basic level a tool to perform a desired task, like the telephone. One hundred years ago, we communicated differently. One hundred years from now it will also be different.

BUT, in the present, REMEMBER one thing: the computer is a tool, what you do with it, what you achieve with it, is up to you.

Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me.
Ellen

Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
www.gardentextures.com