Monday, June 22, 2009

"Smart Room"? I Beg to Differ!

Well, I suppose now is as good a time to quit procrastinating on updating my blog as any. I am in the Maes building, after having just given my summer students a grammar practice test, and I am really not looking forward to stepping out into 96 degrees.

But here is my observation--this classroom is a "smart room": in theory, it should cater to the instructor's every whim just like George and Lydia Hadley's "Happy Life Home" in Ray Bradbury's story, "The Veldt." All the necessary equipment is here--the console holodeck thingy, the projector mounted up on the wall, the way cool screen I can pull down with a switch, and a remote control. Here's the thing--none of these high tech items seem to be willing to communicate with each other. When I turn on the projector, it says there is "no signal" from the computer--and I know very well it is lying. It is laughing at me! Someone stop this mad, conspiratorial collaboration among machines to ruin my career!!!!!