The times, they are a'changin...

Good ol' Bob Dylan, that phrase is always so relevant.

Today I began studying for final exams. My first exam will be for an ICT (information communication technologies) subject. I also spent a few hours at school today. It's that wonderful time of year when schools often do a stock take, and guess who volunteered for the job? Just as a word of advice, DON'T EVER volunteer to do a whole school stock take. The lady who I spoke with before beginning this arduous task referred to me as her victim five times, and called it "the crappiest job in the world" 3 times. She said that she would understand if I decided to bail.. but did I listen? No, of course not. The work is extremely tedious, however I'm finding ways to make it fun. I've been able to meet so many teachers and students around the school, which has been so lovely. I really enjoy meeting new people... although, I do seem to have my fair share of awkward conversations. Here's one that I had the other week:

Me: "Hello!"
Colleague: "Good thanks, how are you?"
Me: "Good thanks, how are you?"
Colleague: *pause*.... *awkward laugh*

Not to worry. I even enjoy the awkward conversations.
Anywho, as a victim of stock take, I need to sight all of the items in the school that cost over $100. It could be worse, I could have to count pencils or paper clips or something. As I was making my way around the school today, it was interesting to see all of the different forms of technology, and how quickly the definition of 'modern' technologies can change. In one classroom there will be prehistoric computers and OHPs, and in another there will be SmartBoards and PS2s. When I was in grade 4, I remember wheeling an OHP from one classroom to another on a rickety old trolley. I hit a crack in the cement and the OHP fell from the trolley onto the ground. I wanted to die. Seriously. I wanted God to strike me down where I stood so that I didn't have to face the inevitable disappointment of my teacher. Fortunately no damage was done, and I lived to tell the tale. However this may not have been the case if I had tipped over a SmartBoard.

Incidentally, I used a SmartBoard for the first time on Tuesday in my ICT tute. My fellow Ed Heads will understand how sad this is. This is only made worse by the fact that I've previously only ever seen a SmartBoard used to screen a DVD. Hardly educational. Anywho, using the SmartBoard didn't make me feel very smart. It did make me feel like a complete novice, which... really, was quite appropriate. It reminded me of the time that we tried to teach my grandma how to send an SMS. Keeping up with rapidly changing technologies is a bummer in most jobs and is certainly not exclusive to teaching. I haven't yet decided if it is irritating or a blessing to have students who know more about technology than I do. But such is life, that's the way the cookie crumbles, that's the way this wheel keeps workin', hakuna matata, rah rah rah.

Ok, now that I have written these disjointed ramblings, I will continue studying. Peace out!