Argh...technology!

Technology is pretty fabulous, and I generally use a little bit of it almost every class.  In fact, when I had to do my practice teaching at the British Council in Seoul for the Celta course, I wasn't allowed to use anything besides handouts and a whiteboard and it really crimped my style.  I had to sneak my IPad in there a couple times to make things not so terrible.

Anyway, it's so frustrating when it goes wrong.  In one classroom that I teach in, there are these really terrible little speakers that should be used in a small office.  Except, they are being used in a large classroom.    And, last week, I couldn't get the youtube video working in that same classroom.  You know, the video that I had based my whole lesson around.  Anyway, I explained it, but it wasn't the same as seeing.

Then, today.  I'm doing this presentation class and the book, "Speaking of Speech" has a DVD with it that has sample videos.  I'd planned the entire class around one of them.  And, I even got to class early so I could have time to figure it all out.  Like, maybe the sound would be muted, or it wasn't obvious how to lower the screen.  But, the DVD drive on the computer didn't open.  Maybe I'm confused, I thought to myself.  Is there actually a DVD player in one of these hidden cubbyholes?  I look more closely.  No, there really isn't.  So, I thought I could maybe find the video I needed on youtube.  I didn't find it, but I did find out that would possibly work.  But, there is no sound.  I look around more closely.  There are no speakers in the classroom. Ridiculous.

Anyway, a quick phone call later to the assistant at the other campus, who finds a secretary or someone on the campus I was at, who comes to tell me that that classroom has no speakers, but I could switch classrooms.  And it all worked out.  But, not before massive frustration ensued. On the up-side, the lady who came to help me is really nice and speaks English well.  I plan on going to say hello next week and making friends!

Sometimes I feel like giving up on the tech altogether and just going old-school.  The chalk, the walk and the talk, as one of my old grad school profs used to say seems pretty appealing at this point.