I Think Different: Macs Rule!


It came as no surprise to me to see that the CNN headline: Mac vs. PC: The stereotypes may be true that Mac computer ad campaigns have been spot on! Then dear Mashable of course picked up on that and gave us this brilliant infographic from Hunch,


You see, I've been a MacGrrl since the beginning of the Interwebs....my first foray into teaching with the web was when I brought into my school library a 14.4k modem and a 100 foot phone line - I dialed up to the University of Maryland's server because my district didn't have the Internet yet and Uof M gave teachers FREE dial up! Wheee! My MacLCIII was smokin hon! C'mon kids let's huddle round this puter & look up state information for our unit Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego!
Then, when we opened our middle school school in 1997 we bought 200 PowerMac all in one 5200's that had the S-Video out so we could hook them up to a .....wait for it.....yeah 27" mounted TV! AND because it was a NEW school we planned to have not the one ethernet data port that was recommended per classroom but we said we needed 4! HA! We wanted one on every wall cause we sorta thought that someday we might possibly have more than one computer per classroom....cause that's how we rolled! (picture of my lab in 97)
Today we now have all new iMacs! So why am I so strenuously establishing my Mac street cred? Cause I really do think an OS reflects personality. I read that infographic & nodded the whole way! But it's really not the tool - it's the way we think. I think different. I'm creative and random and multi-tasking and as Torrence Temple said "You make ADD your beyatch." This blog posting is taking hours to write because like a squirrel ---Oh shiny! I get distracted! Tweeting DMs with Shannon Miller about AASL hotel reservations, finding pictures of my old Macs, and watching Burn Before Reading on FX....We need to teach to ALL the kids who Think Different. (and yeah, it doesn't *have* be on a Mac OS platform!)

From my iPad love, iPod touch adoration to App lust Apple has played a big part of my learning and teaching life. We don't have to be snooty about it though....really. And if we start to get uppity - then thank goodness we have people like Stephen Colbert making Salsa with his iPad and the Onion to keep us humble....AND laughing!

In The Know: Should The Nation's Unemployed Be Buying New Apple Computers?
Forgive the advertisement before the vid (though it's great ICB fodder).....darn the Onion wanting to earn money! Sharks! Poor LauraLee...go use that computer in the garage, honey! We're talking technology here! What are the poor unemployed gonna do? Go to the public library & use their free computers! Sheesh!
Forgive the shameless picture...I just HAD to do it! Maybe gonna do a whole series of these pics with my teachers - convert to B&W and photoshop the transparent .PNG logo over...did the whole READ posters years ago...something old is NEW again!
Celebrate Thinking Different!
ps. my b-day is May 21 wishing on this Tiffany Apple for my charm bracelet! [crosses fingers] Both for my love of all things Apple AND cause I'm a teacher.

Apple charm in sterling silver. http://t.co/y1pOJJK via @TiffanyAndCo

Comments

  1. mauilibrarian2April 25, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    OMGoodness -- and I thought *I* was a maniac Mac lover! Definitely in your camp, Gwyneth, and my love affair w/ Mac goes back to the '80's too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LynnApril 26, 2011 at 1:07 PM

    Pretty shameless plug for the silver apple charm, babeeee!!! ;o) LOVE IT!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jane LoftonApril 26, 2011 at 4:33 PM

    I've had to go back and forth between Macs and PCs numerous times in my career, but always have the biggest smile on my face when I get to use Macs. I know I'm REALLY dating myself with this admission, but my VERY first personal computer was an Apple II Plus, and my second the original Mac. It's been <3 ever since. It was fun reading and relating to the infographic. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. @GwynethJones - The Daring LibrarianApril 30, 2011 at 11:32 AM

    Aunty Lynn....Totally shameless! But you've met me right? LOL - Love you!
    ~Gwynnie
    ----
    Thanks fellow MacGrrls for your awesome comments!
    Muwa!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

You Don't Have to Marry It!

Image
  An update from the  Archives .  Got Ed Tech Relationship Anxiety? It's so easy to feel Ed Tech trend overload at the beginning of the school year. It's exhausting and can be overwhelming. Just remember, it's OK to date new technology, you don't have to marry it!  You don't have to try to be the expert at everything.  Sometimes, it's not what you have, it's the creativity of how you use it. It's the innovation of teaching and not the tool. Tools come and go, it's the daring spirit to try new things that pays off in the long run.   If you're feeling overwhelmed, gather and curate great resources, rather than create new content.   That can come later when you are less stressed or when you get inspired. Then, please share shamelessly across Edu platforms and help another educator who might need it. That's paying if forward.  Again, tech may change, but it is our daring innovative change agent spirit that moves on. Use resources like Common Sens...
Keep reading

Don't Label Me: LGBTQIA+ Ally

Image
Our Middle School Library in Laurel, Maryland has been a loud and proud Safe Space and Ally for ALL of our  LGBTQIA and Neurodivergent students for years. We have purchased every well reviewed, requested, intriguing, and middle school approved fiction and non-fiction book on these topics. I daresay we have one of the largest collections around! We have Safe Space signs around, a rainbow narwhal (pictured above) and groupings of books on display all the time. I have also blogged about our support of our diverse communities. Dear Queer Teen - It Gets Better! - 2012  Create a Safe Space - 2018 BUT... I have strong opinions about putting a Genre label on these books. I am really cognizant that some of my Middle Schoolers are curious or questioning to learn more about but aren't ready to out themselves. To their peers and to their parents. This is yet another reason I'm against Genrefication. I know, among some of my other Future Ready Librarians this is a controversial topic....
Keep reading

Makerspace for Little or Nothing

Image
Makerspace for Little or Nothing You don't have to spend thousands of dollars to start a Makerspace area. You don't have to have a designated room or rip out bookcases. You can even have a Makerspace on a cart! When we have testing in our Library, I put all our Makerspace stuff on an AV cart and roll it into our server room.  This post evolved from a previous post called Makerspace Starter Kit Updated where I had some of these idea, but I felt that it deserved it's own expanded post. You can take baby steps into the Maker Movement.  I've been saying that for 7 years or so....long before I blogged about it, I tried it out. Yeah, sometimes I try things on the sly to see if they are blogworthy for you! Now....having said that..... WARNING: Controversial Opinion Ahead.  I'm not 100% sold, even after 7 years of talking about the Maker Movement, that it's something that's here to stay and not just a fad. Even though I've (without knowing it!)...
Keep reading