Andrey's+Journal3

4.17.09. I think we often grumble about technology because of its limitations or our use of the wrong products. When I came to America, my friend got a PC for me. It was a great gift, but it did not last for long. After that computer I had to buy two more PCs, and they had the same destiny of disappearing into oblivion. After all the frustration associated with losing three computers in two and a half years to the impossible fight with viruses I bought an Apple Powerbook. After 6 years of heavy personal use and the abuse from my three kids it is still there working just like in its very first day. I hate Powerpoint. It is extremely difficult to use, for the most part it does not do a good job with producing quality slideshows. I saw once how the slideshow made on Keynote looked like, and I was sold. I have used it for years by now, and never had any problems with it. I write this so that we learn to look for alternative products if something does not satisfy us in the use of technology. Another alternative is to wait. With the way things go now we do not talk about centuries, but rather months that are needed to see significant changes happening in the world of technology. 4.20.09. Internet is an amazing phenomena. It makes the world smaller and bigger at the same time. Without any traveling or trip to the library it is possible to get a lot of information practically about any place of phenomena. Google Earth let us see pictures of any place in the world. Most people has personal pages, and it is possible to find information almost about any person. The world seems so small and accessible. At the same time when everybody blogs, makes videos and podcasts, it is easy to get lost in this ocean of information, and it is extremely difficult to differentiate between reliable and not so reliable information. Despite all that, the access to so much diverse information excites me a lot. Even in my wildest dreams I could not imagine having so much on the tip of my fingers. Staying in Oregon, I can read the newspaper from a little Russian city where I grew up. The horizons are much wider now than ever before. Technology allows us to create new things, and we often use it for our good. Amazing! 04.25.09. The thing that I like about technology is its changing character. It get closer and closer to the description of God’s actions: “Behold, I create all thongs new.” For the most part the changes are positive. The prices are going down, the technologies are getting more efficient, the more environment-friendly materials are being used in production, the limitations are going down. Recently we discovered the Russian analog of Facebook. Based on the number of users of that service I prone to believe they started their service earlier than Facebook (by the way, it is much better than Facebook). They allow to upload videos to people’s accounts. The file size limit for one video is 1 Gigabyte. The number of videos for upload is not limited! I remember days when Yahoo email box was limited to 4 Megabytes, and it was only 5 years ago! 7 years ago 14 Inch LCD display cost $2000, now you can buy a notebook (with an LCD display of a bigger size!) for $300. If such development does not excite you, I am not sure what can.// 04.27.2009. Technological development has huge potential for educational purposes. Internet opens up the world to its users. Even in the remotest places on this planet it is possible to get access to reliable and timely information (if you know where to look for it). Devices like Kindle and iPhone can serve as new platforms for education. There are some many new exciting possibilities for teaching and learning that it is easy to get lost (in a good sense of these words). Paperless education can become the new reality. Electronic Ink technology in 5 years will provide inexpensive and safe for the eyes way to view electronic documents in color. Since Electronic Ink does not use backlight there will be the opportunity to create devices that consume very little energy and, as a result of that, work for days without recharging. Such devices could be small in size and contain all the textbooks, provide wireless Internet access, and used for typing, emailing, recording audio (and maybe video). Such devices will see the light of the day in about 5 years or less. Imagine the positive change it can bring to education if used correctly. Text-to-speech technology is getting better and better, and it creates even more possibilities for education. There is so much happening in technology that could be used for educational purposes that it excites me greatly. I am not a technologically advanced person but I check on the news about Internet, computer hardware and software practically every day, because if they come up with something really cool, it excites me, and makes me want to live. **
 * //4.14.09. The Easter is over. For some reason in this country the weather does not exactly reflect the joy of the created order concerning the Resurrection of the Son of God. I asked my mom who lived in Russia for almost 60 years if she could recollect bad weather in Russia on Easter Day (I asked her that question, because many people in Russia believe the created world participates in the glorious experrience of Christ's Resurrection, and because I could not remember having a bad weather in Russia on Easter Day, even though I lived there for 23 years). She said the weather was always good. Whether this is important or not, I do not know. I am not sure if it is even interesting. One thing is clear: there are many things in life that technology cannot change, since it is the reflection of people's glory and intellect. Despite being created in the image and likeness of God, we are fallen and limited creatures. In the time of passing pleasures and worries we are to remember the advice of St. Paul: "Set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth.