Thursday, August 9, 2012

A New Cutting-Edge Gadget For Mrs. Hillbilly Mom

I am not good with gadgets. Technology is not my friend. We are no more than nodding acquaintances. Kissin' cousins thrice removed. All I ever needed to know about gadgets, I learned from my remote control.

Imagine my surprise when I entered my classroom Monday, and saw that a special new screen had been bestowed upon me. Sweets for the sweet. A reward for a job well done. A cutting-edge appliance to add to my sturdy red Craftsman toolbox of educational equipment. Kudos to me. I wondered if everybody had one now. Or if I really had been singled out for this honor.

I walked past it to my desk. Sat down. Admired it some more. Wondered exactly how it worked. Like images projected on the windshields of fighter jets, perhaps? Something that would link up to my computer screen, like my projector? It must be interactive. Otherwise, it's just a duplicate projection screen. I didn't see a box that went with it, with speakers or a light source. Must be self-illuminating. Sound through my computer, perhaps.

The screen hung at perpendicular angles to my projector screen. So I would have to change my student seating so that all could see. I wondered how that would work. Would some on the back side see the images reversed? Or was it set up to show the same image on both sides? So much to learn during our three workdays next week. New technology.

I took another good look:


It was the light cover over my burned-out light. Waiting for a new bulb to be installed.

6 comments:

Sioux Roslawski said...

That is EXACTLY the sort of stupid conclusion I would jump to.

But then, this was my first day with kids. My brain is fried...

knancy said...

Oh dear god, I just lost it! I was all in there with you waiting to see what you were going to do about all of this newness in three days! Crap....I thought I was going to see new technology, new seating arrangements, and future posts on classroom shenanigans revolving around this Star Trek tech. I am totally disappointed, but still laughing!

Carol said...

I could not "figure out" the new screen! Of course, I retired from teaching a year ago and thought it was a new type of screen. M (who is still in her formative years) has begun her sixth year of teaching also has a "similar" screen. We laughed alot.

Hillbilly Mom said...

Sioux,
Better you than me. I have five glorious days until the students report. You can gloat when you're having an actual Spring Break, and I have Good Friday.

*************
knancy,
Yeah. It hit me all at once, too. I was certain that I had finally gotten something special.

Maybe I'll get a free red Sharpie in my mailbox on Monday.

**************
Carol,
See? Technology is really hard on us old dogs. Our Tech Dude will go off jabbering about some new feature like PowerSchool or PowerGrade, and I liken it to teaching a mutt how to fly a 747.

Kathy's Klothesline said...

I would have thought the same thing, good thing Hick did not see it ..... it would have given him an idea for contructing something similar for home use. I speak from experience.

Hillbilly Mom said...

Kathy,
You speak from your radio mounted on your golf cart.