Two years ago, her school district gave her an iPad to use as a classroom aide. Upon it she could download educational games to use with her classroom. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a great idea too! But then, she brought the iPad home. I never thought that my mom was bad with technology until that point. Never have I ever seen someone look so awkward using a tablet. Instead of lightly tapping on the screen, she would literally pound her finger on the glass. As someone who tries to take care of their electronics, I could not even stand the sight of it. Over the course of a few weeks, I taught my mom, someone who traditionally relied on pen and paper, to use a tablet effectively. Today, she uses her iPad in class to assist in teaching everything from music to math.
Eventually, my mom became so comfortable with the iPad software that she purchased an iPhone for personal use.
Now, when my mom has a problem with her iPad, it's not just her problem; it's my problem. After I taught her everything I knew about her iPad, I thought that I was in the clear. Then, Apple had to go ahead and release iOS 7. When iOS 7 came out it was an entirely new learning process for my mom. Both her iPad and her iPhone changed layouts completely. She called me and talked to me on the phone for over half an hour just to figure out how to close apps. The next day, she texted me about the same topic...
While an iPad can be used effectively as a tool for teaching handicapped children, it requires certain literacies to be used. My mom is, without a doubt, a "digital immigrant". Her iPad certainly enhances her work, it just took a while to get used to. Hopefully, in the future, my mom's experience with her iPad can help her with the transition to fully digital grading and lesson plans.
4 comments:
First off, I literally laughed out loud at the pictures. They are just so relatable that while reading I feel that every teenager these days would feel as though at some point they have had a similar experience with their parents. When talking to my dad he even noted how he feels as though he is at a disadvantage compared to the other younger workers due to the fact that he hasn't grown up surrounded with computers and technologies. This has caused him to struggle when adapting to changes in the work place. Although both our parents have grown to be able to use the resources given to them, it is interesting to see how they struggle to change their routines without the help of others.
Sam,
I had the exact same experience when my mom first got her iPad for work. She could hardly use it and always came to me for help, so I completely understand how you felt, especially now with the release of IOS 7. Just as she had mastered the old operating system, Apple released a new one for her to learn. In fact, she still hasn't upgraded the software on her iPhone or her iPad simply because she wants to have enough time for me to teach it to her. Hopefully she'll be able to pick it up like your mom has seemed to be able to.
Sam,
I was dying of laughter when i read all of your moms text messages. The fact that she literally didn't know how to do a SINGLE thing was hilarious.. sorry. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading your discussion on the new IOS 7 software and your mother's experiences (troubles) with it. Thanks for sharing!
Sam,
I always thought my mom was kinda rough with the implementation of Apple devices in her life. But then I saw these screenshots, and I was truly humbled.
It's interesting how different people deal with learning curves when dealing with capricious, complex digital media. In my experience, when people not familiar with said technologies are more ardent about them, and willing to try out new things, they tend to learn faster, to the point of enjoying these new tools. My mom has an iPad and an iPhone. When I went with her to aide in the process of buying them, I was surprised by the questions they were asking and the aptitude she had in analyzing the various features and facets. It seems like your mom is a little more reluctant to introduce "e-changes" in her life. You've done well with making the transition easy for her, though. Hopefully she'll catch on with future advances and be able to navigate these tools on her own, with gusto. Haha.
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