My Technological Journey: “Live” update from “the path”
My journey with technology has taken many paths over the years. These paths have been determined based on answers to simple questions like;
When am I using the technology?
Where am I using the technology?
For what reasons am I using the technology?
I'm really no different than anyone else in that regard. So, why mention it? Well, you are reading my blog right now so I think it is relevant; especially as it pertains to the rest of this particular post. I want to share with you how my most recent answers to these questions have redirected my path, on this journey, once again.
When am I using the technology?
Most of you know that I am an elementary school teacher. As I write this post it is the early part of July, almost 2 weeks into my summer break. My break started a bit later than usual this year due to meetings and professional development that I was required to participate in but that's a whole different story. I tend to associate laptops with work so it makes sense to not want to be on a laptop during the summer...if at all possible.
Where am I using the technology?
I am mostly home during the summer. My wife works from home so, not to be a distraction, when I am home, I spend most of my time, when I'm...
- not out and about visiting friends
- doing house chores (because that's how I afford my Rock -n- Roll lifestyle) or...
- running errands for us; upstairs, in my office.
I also write with a very good friend. She lives out of town. We like to go to coffee shops when we write so I'd rather not drag my MacBook Pro around with me.
For what reasons am I using the technology?
Earlier in this post I mentioned that I associate being on a laptop with work. I recently found out that my 2015 MacBook Pro will not be able to run the new OS coming out this Fall, macOS Ventura. The last major "project" I used the MacBook Pro was, get ready for it, work related; teaching remotely during the pandemic. Before that, I used the MacBook Pro to help me finish my dissertation in 2014. I needed a new computer at the time to help me prepare the dissertation for publication. I hardly used my MacBook Pro this passed school year because we were back in school full time. Whenever I needed to use a laptop for work related things I just brought my work laptop home. It has all the "school related stuff" I need on it that I use daily and I am a big fan of separating (not Severance level...at least not yet) my work life from my home life. All this to say that I am re-directing my path, away from the MacBook Pro to using my 2021 M1, 11 inch iPad Pro for all of my non-work related things.
That's not a drastic statement as most people who read this blog know that I have been using the new iPad Pro since last summer after giving my mom my first generation iPad Pro. The thing that will be different during this next iteration of my technological journey is that I plan on bringing an external monitor into the mix.
Currently, my 2021 M1, iPad Pro, via a USB-C dongle set up, will mirror (as you can see in the picture I've included with this post) what is on my iPad's screen to an external monitor. Again, those who read this blog know that my wife bought me a 15.6 Cocopar portable monitor to use while I taught remotely during the pandemic. The new iPadOS 16 software update will enable me to use that portable monitor as a second screen, just like I have been doing with my work laptop since the pandemic started. I will be able to do different things simultaneously on both my iPad Pro and portable monitor's screens. This is exciting to me because of another feature that will be coming with iPadOS 16; Stage Manager. Stage Manager will allow users like me to resize the apps we use into overlapping windows. The result of this feature is supposed to improve the overall multitasking experience. And, with the ability to support an external display, like my portable monitor, I will, in theory, be able to run 4 apps on my iPad Pro and an additional 4 apps on the external monitor. Again, this in not "breaking news" to anyone who keeps up with such things. That's not the purpose of this post. This new software update has come at the right moment in my technological journey's timeline to excite me about what is possible with a set up like the one I've explained. I plan on downloading the public beta the day it becomes available; to continue my journey.
