Technology can sometimes be a double-edged sword. This morning it took
me five hours to repair a software problem on one of the laptops,
delaying our departure until noon. "So why let computers determine the
bike schedule?" I hear you say. "Surely it should be the other way
round - the physical side of the journey taking precedent over the
technology".
Well, in a way you're right. But there are two reasons why technologies
- especially computers - are now such an integral part of the
expedition:
1. First, we feel it's important to be able to share our travels and
adventures with classrooms around the world. Without computers no one
would know what we were doing and no great educational value would come
of it.
2. Second, if people are expecting news, they assume no news is bad
news. So when a computer fails, like it did this morning, friends and
especially family would start to get concerned. Peace of mind is in the
daily updates!
But sometimes I spend more time writing about a sunset on the computer
(to send to the website) than looking at the sunset itself. And this is
when I know that the balance needs to be revised. I didn't join the
expedition to spend most of my day and evening staring at a computer
screen. I joined it to see the world.
Suggested learning activities: identify a piece of technology that you
use on a daily basis. Make a list of the pros and cons of owning and
using this technology.