The cabin was well-appointed, but lacked WiFi or Internet service. The joke among my friends, colleagues, and family was that this would be Good For Me with my hyperconnected role for our school district, and my borderline addiction to multiple electronic devices and screens. “Digital detox,” they said.
Less than halfway to our destination, the cell service gradually dropped off. By the time we arrived, it had disappeared. For a day, being unplugged was interesting. Perhaps even...nice. We enjoyed the sights and experiences around our cabin and lost track of time.
On day two, it was high comedy as we came to terms with our predicament. Three groups of adults went their separate ways and then tried to make plans to get back together at a given time and place without the use of their phones for maps, calls, or texts. The resultant chaos was somewhere between preschool playtime and “Lord of the Flies.” The rest of the week was spent with watches synchronized and road atlases at the ready.
Ultimately a good time was had by all and we had a great week. Although some of us needed a little help and coffee from a McDonald’s 20 miles up the road. Free WiFi - I’m lovin’ it!
But a question persists...is being unplugged truly good for me? The time away from responsibilities and extra time with family was incredible and rewarding, but time away from information and online connections was agitating.
My thoughts went right to teaching and learning and School PR. We would never choose to go backwards, in terms of technology. My first year as a collegiate athletics media relations intern back in 1992 was spent folding press releases and labeling envelopes to be mailed across town to media outlets. I recall in-depth discussions about thermal paper vs. plain paper fax and whether or not our sports information office should use e-mail to communicate with anybody. Why would we go back to those days?
In a presentation to our 40 new teachers as part of their orientation this week, I relayed a story of my first year teaching in 2006 and the sage advice I was given by a colleague. “Hustle to the LMC and get the best overhead projector you can find.” Why would we go back to those days?
A professional growth goal for me this year, my second in School PR, is to better utilize planning and strategy in our district communication efforts. I promise I’m not looking for ways to more efficiently fold and stuff envelopes or maintaining mailing addresses and shopping for labels. I am looking for ways to reach our students, teachers, parents, and community partners that reflect how they consume information in real life.
It struck me as odd that colleagues parted ways at the 2015 National School Public Relations Association conference in Nashville noting that it was good to make acquaintances "in real life" after conversing online in the preceding months and years. To paraphrase Pirate Bay co-founder Peter Sunde, "We don’t like that expression...we think the Internet is for real."
If you disagree, take a trip with me up to where your smartphone loses its signal and see how quickly real life changes. Needless to say, I’m happy to be back home, grateful to be plugged in, and excited for the school year to start.