Summer Review

I cannot believe how far I have come this summer. I never felt that I had any problems with online technologies. Through the last 20 years, I have used Internet resources for learning and social activities. I know I was a low-level consumer, but I was comfortable with that. I engaged the resources that interested me, used the tools that were required, and did not worry about the high-speed sexy stuff that "techno-geeks" were raving about. I never needed the latest device, and certainly was never concerned about the latest trends. For example, I never expected to have a Twitter account. I never wanted it, and thought I had no use for it. To my mind, it was a distraction, a social media toy, like many of the other social media tools available. This summer has completely changed my opinion. I amazed at the wealth of useful applications each tool has to offer. As I glance at other blogs, I see this sentiment echoed again and again. There is a lot out there. We have covered a lot of it this summer. And there remains a whole lot more to explore. The two most important lessons I will take from this summer are this. Do not dismiss out of hand, but approach each new thing with an open mind. Be willing to experiment and try new things, and seek out the guidance of the more experienced whenever you need it. You may find something exceptional that will bridge a gap you did not even realize existed. The other lesson is to start where you find yourself, and take what you need along the way. The way to keep from becoming overwhelmed is to concentrate on what you find most interesting and most useful. You do not need to use everything anymore than you need to know everything. Do a personal needs assessment, then address those needs specifically. I know as I go forth, I will not use half of what I tried out this summer. But I also know that those few tools that I do use will be wonderful, engaging, and effective. And that makes all the difference.