The Internet is down. Apparently it is a problem with the Internet provider.
Well, I need the Internet to print the tests that I’m giving out today in two different classes. Glad I did that yesterday.
I need the Internet to update my school blog post and place the plan and links for today’s lessons. Haven’t done that yet. Ha – and I don’t do Power Points anymore so I don’t have a back-up there. So, if the Internet isn’t up for my last block, those students will simply read from the book with me. What? Read from the book? Do students even do that anymore?
Other tasks I need to accomplish on my “to do” list include emails, entering grades, confirming plans for South Africa, working on our Science Review, rewriting course descriptions (the originals are online), updating Rubicon Atlas, all of which require the Internet.
There is the tidying up of my room, cleaning up from past labs, starting to clear out for the summer. But I can’t really do that when students are writing an exam!
I check with my colleague to see if her Internet is down. She also is without and comments that she can’t do anything without it. Realizing we’re both in the same boat she offers, “Shall we take a tea together?” So, we sit in my classroom discussing plans for next year.
It’s shocking to me how dependent we are on the Internet. We become almost nonfunctional without it. In times like this I always think that I’ll make sure I have everything downloaded on my computer and copies of all Google Documents on my computer. However, that sure defeats the purpose of Google documents, especially those documents that are used in collaboration with other teachers.
People joke about nations being able to shut down the Internet across the world. Imagine. Not just educators would be inconvenienced! Every aspect of our life would be affected.
Despite this reality, I have no offering for a back-up plan. What do you think, have we, as a society put ourselves in a dangerous situation?