I have been trying to let this one go, but I just can't do it.
Several colleagues and I are giving a presentation on our college's basic writing course at 4Cs in New Orleans in April. I requested an LCD projector and Internet access for our presentation. I began creating a webpage to provide an outline of the presentation and link to useful documents.
Then, the fateful day arrives; I receive an email from 4Cs. This email tells me I will have neither an LCD projector nor Internet access . . . but I will have an overhead projector.
An overhead projector?
A bleepin' overhead projector!!
Will I have a stone tablet and a chisel as well ?!
When I respond with my disappointment-- in much more measured tones than the above-- I am informed that I can rent an LCD projector and Internet access for . . . oh, about a bazillion dollars. Okay, okay, it wasn't a bazillion dollars; it was only $800 as I recall. $800 . . . hm, let me check my change jar. Nope, no extra $800 there. Maybe some R1 shop has that kind of money, but where the hell is a community college teacher supposed to get an additional $800 (over what he/she has already scrounged for registration, airfare, and hotel) for a conference presentation? It might as well be a bazillion.
So, the premiere gathering of college composition teachers in the country is reduced to using mid-20th century technology to share the work of its best and brightest in 2008. That suggests a great deal about just how far behind the technology curve we are as a field-- both practically and theoretically.
A coda: I seriously considered cancelling my trip to New Orleans, but I wanted to see my alma mater (Tulane University) again and I didn't want to disappointment the colleagues with whom I have been collaborating on this presentation.
Now, where did I put those transparencies and that overhead pen?
Oh, I remember; I left them next to the mimeograph machine.
See you in New Orleans.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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3 comments:
Wow.....$800 smackers is certainly more than I have in my change jar, too. In fact, I think I could scrounge around in all the change jars from everyone in my department and I still couldn't come up with that kind of cash. And if we could, we would use it to send another person to Cs, not for technology. I think you could buy your own LCD projector for much less than that. I know the hotels in New Orleans are up against it, but that sure sounds like the hotel is trying to take a serious bite out of somebody.
I'm glad you are still going to the Cs, though. Despite the aggravation, you have important information to share.
- sharon m
@ sharon m
Thanks for the vote of confidence; funny thing is I wasn't even going to talk about technology at the conference, but I will now :)
According to Cheryl Glenn at the Business meeting on Saturday we will be seeing a raise in conference registration fees ($20 more) to cover the cost of more technologies (both more digital projectors and internet/wireless connections).
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