Surviving Technology

I have had a Promethean Board (ProBo for short in my head) for a week now.
I have run my first two applications using the ProBo this week, and I find it to be interesting but not necessary to my existence as a music therapist. I am hoping that I will always feel this way about it - that it is nice to have but not essential for me to do my job. It is interesting that this is my perspective. I don't think I am all that unsavvy when it comes to technology, but I am VERY picky about what I let into my life and my habits. It took me a long time to consent to having a cell phone. In fact, it took an accident on a snowy day to make me realize that cell phones are essential tools in life today. It took me about as long to upgrade from my flip phone to a smart phone. I keep my phones until the battery can no longer hold charges rather than turning them in each time I am eligible. I just don't see why a reliance on technology is a good thing.

My motto for this part of my life is "technology is great until it's not working." I am always interested to watch people not being able to do things because they have their entire schedule, resources, and all that on their broken phones. I think that is my major hesitancy about the ProBo taking over things in my music therapy room. It has to be treated like the tool it is - just one more thing that I can do with my clients rather than THE thing that I use to reach my clients. I am working on making digital files for some of my file folder activities that I create. I figure that some of my students can interact with the ProBo while others are using the file folders to follow along. That way, when the ProBo is not available for one reason or another, I still have the more traditional versions and they will not be all that new or novel to my clients.

In the past week, I have learned how to password protect my ProBo as well as how to deal with clients who think that they should get to watch whatever they want even in the midst of music therapy groups. The board has been beat upon by a client who appeared frustrated that there was a password required. The board has been used for composition and for notation purposes. We have been writing rhythms using my paper rhythm wheel pieces and then transferring them to the ProBo for practice notating those strange symbols. I will be making additional templates and master files for larger composition tasks. I have to figure out how to attach the laptop to the computer, but that's just connections, and I know how to do those things. I just need to get it done.

My problem right now? Running out of oxygen to get things done. I do a little bit in the closet and then have to rest because I am panting and shaky and having difficulty coordinating my movements (more than usual, even). Slowly but surely I am reconfiguring the closet to accommodate my office space. I am thinking I will eliminate my desk space in favor of some cabinets. There will still be a table, but not a "desk" for me. I will move the drum set out into the room (with an elaborately designed drum set cover) to increase its accessibility and to give me some more space in the office/closet area. I have already emptied and removed two of the bulky plastic storage shelving units from the closet to the intern's office, so we are doing fine. I have not been told officially that I will be moving, but I have been told unofficially that this will be happening, so I am trying to get a jump on it. Until I can take an entire day off from therapy services to clear out both offices and then rearrange everything in the closet, I am kind of stuck in this place of limbo waiting to get things going again.

There are just too many things waiting too many decisions that I am not allowed to make on my own that are challenging me. I am going to take a later than usual morning and get to work on-time rather than very early. That means missing the sunrise this morning, but it also means another 45 minutes to spend here rather than at work. I will try to remember to take time to breathe.