The Internet can really level the playing field both in life and in education. Yes, I do know that we are not all online yet, but we are getting there.

As this is my first post for the #edcmooc I think it will be fitting for me to just introduce myself in this post that is specifically aimed at this course.

I am Nico Baird and this is my personal blog. I write a number of technology columns and post some of these columns here. I would love this space to be made up of everything I write and all my thoughts, ideas and even things I find online that inspire and direct me. In the past I have created blogs for various projects, but I believe that by focussing on only this one space I will be able to focus more on what I want to present and share.

I am a PhD student at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, in South Africa. I am permanently employed at the Central University of Technology, Free State which is also located here in Bloemfontein as an Instructional Designer. For more general information please click on the About link at the top of the page.

I watched the videos of week one and I must admit I loved them. I honestly think that Inbox is a brilliant representation of how our lives have changed. It is easy to see positive and negative perspectives to this video, but I think that the positives really outweigh the negatives. We are now in a world where technology is really levelling the playing field. The girl not really liking the attention she was getting from the guy. Finding an anonymous method of communication to communicate with someone and then in the end finding that she actually likes the person she is communicating with. The bags is such an incredible way of representing our use of a medium like email or instant messaging to communicate with someone. Stripping away preconceptions and getting down to the communication between two individuals. Even in teaching the anonymity can be greatly advantageous.

From all four videos it is clear that technology is a huge part of our daily lives, there is no way of us ever escaping it. It is clear to me that we need to embrace technology for the good it can do, but we also need to be cautious that we do not depend on it too much. We should not allow it to take over our lives.
I must say I love technology, in life, in teaching, and in almost every aspect of my life, but I do realise I may become too dependent on it.

Well, this is my first post for #edcmooc, I am still finding my feet in this course and hope to interact more and even better in future posts.

#edcmooc