Luddite?

 I am quite behind in the latest technology trends.  I don't have an iPhone, iPod, Blackberry, Android or any other portable electronic devices.  Yes, I do have a Kindle, but it took me six months to buy one after my spouse wouldn't share the first household Kindle.  I'm not familiar with "apps" or "ghosting" or "facetime".  My laptop is eighteen months out of date.  The family cellphone is almost ancient, and not far behind is my Nikon D80 camera. This is going to date me, but in my first year of high school I learned to type on a typewriter (typing).  The following year computers were introduced at school and I learned to write/type simple BASIC code.  Today, I teach my students "keyboarding", but with touch screen technology, I wonder sometimes, what's the point?

So, what happens when the long promised and awaited iPad's finally show up at school? Steep learning curve, that's what.  While most teachers yesterday oo-ed and aah-ed over their new shiny toys, downloading apps, music, programs and other things I can't begin to remember, mine stayed in its box until today, when I finally had courage enough to open the package to check out the contents and turn on the technological marvel.  I'm actually intimidated by my spouse and father-in-law who seem to have already figured out the ins and outs of the iPad in just a few short hours (though it seemed like minutes).

Sigh.  Am I slowly becoming a Luddite as time and technology marches on?