[clivehawkins]

The last 10 days without an internet connection in the office has been pretty awful from a business point of view.

However, it has made me realise how much I have come to depend on the internet for teaching resources. I mean, 5 years ago I barely used it and managed more than adequately to supplement coursebook materials and prepare extra activities. Instead, I was a little boy lost this week without access to this site's worksheet wizard, various kids' materials sites, news sites, songs and lyrics, pictures and photos etc etc. Thank goodness I have a lot of stuff I've prepared over the years that I was able to recycle, but it wasn't the same if you know what I mean.

My question is this: If you suddenly lost access to the internet, how difficult would your job become, and how long do you think it wouild take for you to get used to the 'old way' of getting \ preparing materials?

By the way, it's nice to be back

[mesmark]

Lost access as in remotely?

I'd head down to the local internet cafe once a day

Lost as in there's no escaping the internet isolation?

I think I would manage if it were only a week or two. The only problem would be what to do with all the free time.

It would hurt me a bit. I do rely on a few sites for adult materials and I have to maintain my own sites, delete spammers, answer email ...

Two years ago I had my computer die on me. I ordered a new one, but it took two weeks, to get it. That was a tough two weeks. Not just no internet, but no computer.

I was like a lost puppy.

[susan53]

Adult materials, Mark? What do you do in the classroom???

Seriously, I'm teaching adults constantly and write all the materials for the school. I rely on the Internet mainly for articles to give me ideas for texts, which I then rewrite at the appropriate level, and for pictures - thank goodness for clipart and flickr - then build activities round those. I don't use much ready made stuff as everything I do is tailor made very specifically to the needs of the students - but I know that if I was teaching general purpose English again I would.

But outside lesson prep I'd be equally lost in the rest of life without it. I can go days without TV, never turn the radio on hate the telephone and rarely listen to music - but go to the internet for everything from correcting homework (via E-mail) to reading the news to this evening's dinner recipe. The only thing I would less like to give up are books. What about you?

[mesmark]

Quote susan53

Adult materials, Mark? What do you do in the classroom???

I will be more careful bout word order from now on.

materials for adults - materials for adults - materials for adults
materials for adults - materials for adults - materials for adults
materials for adults - materials for adults - materials for adults

That ought to do it.

[sabridv85]

I agree . I really feel at a loss when I don't have access to the internet. Last month I was 15 days without access to the internet because of a problem with my ISP and I didn't know what to do. It is really terrible when you get to think on how much you depend on computers, isn't it?

[michèle 2]

[quote=clivehawkins]
My question is this: If you suddenly lost access to the internet, how difficult would your job become, and how long do you think it wouild take for you to get used to the 'old way' of getting \ preparing materials?

Tha same applied for cars. Would we be able to get rid of cars and use carts drawn by horses?
I didn't have the internet 5 years ago so I used to make everything from drawings ( even if I'm useless at drawing and my students laughed at me!!) to other teaching materials.
Now with access to the internet and any kinds of teaching materials my life has changed a lot. I think it has really made teachers and students' life easier.
The internet is a fantastic tool!

[susan53]

[quote=michèle 2]

Quote clivehawkins

Tha same applied for cars. Would we be able to get rid of cars and use carts drawn by horses?

We decided about five years ago to get rid of our car, for various reasons, including environmental ones. Everyone here (like everywhere?) moans like crazy about public transport, but I really don't miss the car at all. I agree that if you live in the depths of the country it's different (but even then there's no reason why you can't park on the outskirts and switch), but in a town like Milan there's no problem - though tell that to the other 2 million Milanese. I also use my bike as much as possible - but that can be hairy. Because, of course, of the cars.

As a horse-lover I'd love to have a horse and cart as my principal form of transport. No problem at all!

[clivehawkins]

[quote=susan53]

Quote michèle 2

We decided about five years ago to get rid of our car, for various reasons, including environmental ones.

I'm not sure I could completely get rid of the car, although I do find myself using it less and less (mainly because I'm trying to work exclusively in the same town).

I have taken Canale 5 and Rete 4 off my TV though! :-)
I thought that would be hard to get used to but I miss it not one jot! I'm gradualy trying to wean myself off TV completely. We'll have to wait and see if I manage it.

I think this is because I'm using the net more and more for entertainment. I'm enjoying many of the comedy podcasts available. Which takes us nicely back to the original point of how the net is becoming more important in our lives.

Another example of being lost without it:

This week I had to find a song for the kids related to flowers \ gardens for the school play. It had to be long enough to warrant being included but not too short so the parents blink and miss it. The language had to be simple enough for them to learn in quite a short time but not too banal or repetitive. Now, without the net how on earth would I have gone about finding something?

(By the way, I chose 'The gardener plants the seeds' sung to the tune of the Farmer's in the Dell)

Now I've got my fingers crossed that it gores better than the Christmas fiasco

[susan53]

Quote clivehawkins

I have taken Canale 5 and Rete 4 off my TV though! :-)

Is this a political statement? Why the exception for Italia 1? (For those of you not in Italy, they're all owned by our ex-leader Berlusconi. If you can't quite place him, he usually looks like this : )

[clivehawkins]

Rete 4 because of Emilio Fede - say no more.
canale 5 because it has nothing but minor vips shouting at each other.
Oh, and we don't have Rai2 because it's gone digital.

3 down, 6 or 7 to go!

[HUE]

I'll second that: I don't watch much TV because I'll watch something else on the computer. All in all, though, I probably watch less than five hours a week (TV and computer combined). If I lost my internet connection (and I have), I go nuts. Can't check my e-mail, read the news, prepare for lessons.

It's pretty amazing to think how the Internet has transformed our lives in such a relatively short amount of time. I do think that living abroad affects my dependence on the Internet. It's my primary tool to keep in contact with friends and family, as well as what's going on, back in the States.

[ks_1976a]

When you are hooked you are hooked and it is hard to go back to the old ways. I know as I am now hooked too.

[susan53]

Quote clivehawkins

Rete 4 because of Emilio Fede - say no more.

But he's the funniest thing on Tv. Where else do you go for laughs

[michèle 2]

[quote=HUE]I'll second that: I don't watch much TV because I'll watch something else on the computer.

Last night my husband and I spend our time reliving some oldies on youtube!!! ( George Harison, Jimmy Hendrix , the Platters ect...)