Technologically Literate

January 15, 2008

It’s my goal this year (not really a “new year’s resolution”) to get more technologically literate. So in addition to starting a blog, I’ve signed up for a web design class at Canadian Valley Technology Center in El Reno. Ideally I’d like to get to a point where I can work at home via the internet, and set my own schedule so I can be home when Nathan gets home from school, possibly help out at his school, travel more, etc. Who knows where this all will lead.

The web design class started last night; I’m so excited about it! We learned some very basic functions and commands of Dreamweaver, the most popular software program right now thru which to design websites. It’s much different than designing on Word, which is how I first learned to design a webpage many years ago at UCO.

Sometimes I feel so far behind most people, technologically; I just got my first cell phone EVER, 2 months ago. I got my first home computer a year ago. I just recently began online bill-pay. But on the other hand, I am fairly well-versed in Excel and Word and can pick up new applications fairly well. I’ve been doing online banking for years and know how to set up a personal email account. So I’m not completely behind the times. But this is exciting and new!

My thoughts fly back to 1989 when I took my first Lotus 1-2-3 course at Dalton College. We learned spreadsheets on DOS. I was nearly in tears in class one day because I felt I was the only one who didn’t know how to “boot up.” I was working at The Sewing Room as an alterations seamstress, not in an office like I wanted to be, so I didn’t work with computers at all. The extent of my computer experience at the time was a few homework problems in my Accounting Principles class on an old 286 or 386. And, I did learn a little programming in BASIC in high school.

We’ve come a long way since DOS and BASIC and 386’s! I felt so stupid then, but as time went on we all learned how to use computers as second nature, whether we liked it or not. And I imagine now, in a few years I’ll be using Dreamweaver and Flash as easily as I’m using Excel and Word now.