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…I actually don’t read the news – but I listen to it!
I’ve always taken pride in the fact that I don’t rely too much on technology… but in reality, it has slowly become a bigger part of my life over the last decade. The more I think about it, the more I see myself using it every day.
So let’s visit a day in my life in terms of technology usage, shall we? I’m going to break this down into tech usage before work, at work, and in the evening:
Morning Routine:
- Alarm: brought to you by Samsung! Every morning I’m gently woken by a beautiful, soothing voice. My phone tells me the time, the weather, and wishes me a great day… what a treat!
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- Morning Podcast: There is a twice daily podcast that I like to listen to before
and after work – a little bit of American current events along with some celebrity news to balance out all the heaviness. - Morning Walk/Run: When I’m feeling up to it, I’ll head out first thing for some fresh air and wear my Garmin watch to help me keep track of the time or listen to some music.
- Morning Spin: If I don’t feel like leaving the house or the weather is crummy, I might use our Echelon bike to connect to a spin class in the morning. Their Echelon Fit app is fantastic – it lets me join live classes or catch replays at a time that works for me.
- Google Home Mini: Before I leave for work I make sure our dog has some entertainment for the day – I ask our Google Home Mini to play some relaxing music for her while I’m at work.
- Morning Phone Call: I call one of my parents every morning on the drive to work for a quick chat and to see how they’re doing – it’s our version of morning coffee together.
- CBC Hourly News: Any additional drive time is spent listening to a 5-minute Canadian news update thanks to the Google News app installed in my car.
…. And this is all before 8 am!
Workday as a Learning Facilitator:
- Email: The first thing I would do when I got to work is open my inbox to check for pinned messages from the day before. As a Learning Facilitator, I prioritized responding quickly to teacher requests – afer all, they have enough on their plates and shouldn’t have to ask twice!
- Calendar: This leads me to my Outlook Calendar. I started last school year with a paper planner but I quickly found that I didn’t always have it with me. Thanks to the power of technology, I pinned a widget calendar to my cellphone that allows me to quickly schedule appointments instantly and set reminders so I’m always prepared.
- Android Auto: Traveling from school to school, there were times when I would be running behind. Thankfully, I could use the voice-to-text option with Android Auto to send messages to teachers to let the know I was on my way.
- Grocery Delivery: When it’s time to get groceries, I’ll use a few minutes during my lunch break to order groceries online. That way, when I get home at the end of the day, I can take some extra time to walk my dog instead of waiting in the lineups at the grocery store.
Evenings with Technology:
- Streaming: To motivate myself to tidy the house and get work done in the evening, I always have either a good podcast or a tv show streaming. I also ask Google Home Mini to set a timer for me to keep myself motivated.
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- Garmin: I enjoy golfing in my spare time, and realizing that my running/gps watch also works on golf courses was a game changer. I always bring it along to check distances and determine what club I should be using.
- Facebook Marketplace: This is a guilty pleasure of mine 🙂 Last summer I decided to take a break from Instagram and Facebook and never really looked back – but that doesn’t stop me from checking Facebook Marketplace in the evening for some good deals!
- Hobbies: I have a number of other hobbies I enjoy, like sewing, crocheting, and
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playing various instruments. YouTube tutorial videos and online patterns are extremely helpful… it’s like having a private instructor on demand whenever I want to try something new!
- Bedtime: I usually finish off every day with listening to a podcast or audiobook as I fall asleep. I even know when it’s time to wind down because I have a sleep setting on my phone that causes the screen to change to grayscale as a signal that it’s time to rest.
Looking back, it’s pretty clear that technology plays a larger role in my day-to-day than I realize. I try to make sure that I’m using it intentionally to stay connected with others, with current events, and stay productive.
Note: This blog post was written by me and proofread by ChatGPT to clean up some awkward-sounding sentences. I tend to ramble with my writing and have found that using AI helps me see where I can keep things a little more concise!