All about my on-line life

I decided to call this blog,  "Wake up and Smell the Coffee" because in the not so distant future we will all come to terms with the new purchasing and advertising power of E-markets with on-line services of every type and fashion.   We never considered this possible.  We may have to be dragged screaming and thrashing, but most likely we will place one foot in front of the other and go forward into that as of yet un-planned future, whether we like it or not.

For instance, this week alone I registered for courses on-line, registered for Grad school on line, Registered for Federal funding and also for scholarships on-line.  Sat in on a "Webinar," toured a virtual campus and posted and  completed my class assignments on-line. 

In addition I also paid my bills, balanced my checkbook and checked up on my property taxes.  I filed an election campaign complaint on-line and also registered my company's FEIN number and updated my state excise tax name on-line.  I helped my son take his Boy Scout safety and weather test on-line and then we both took an Online survey and registered to win an on-line sweepstakes.

I also purchased a domain and started my own blog, as you who are reading will know.  I will be back and forwards on google doc meetings and "Go to my Meeting" virtual meetings.  My political party is asking me to contribute to a petition campaign on-line and my charity has me collecting money in my own "virtual" bucket, on-line of course!  Now my new classmates are emailing me and asking me to join them on a team project for class.

In a whirlwind first two-weeks of this beautiful brand new year, I communicated with my doctor on-line and signed up for a phone conference with a counselor for SBA.   I just registered to pick up prescriptions we need from an on-line pharmacy and ordered myself some new candle wicks from E-bay.  We also had a day of reviewing new guitars for sale on Craig's list.   

It was frustrating at times, difficult and taxing on the brain and my eyes really hurt from all of the scrolling through large amounts of "text" without borders.  But, what I have learned this week as I plough through the myriad tasks of the on-line student is that we will all be trained this way soon, even as children.  Our school days will someday be eliminated for more stimulating and challenging on-line courses. 

Unfortunately I feel that the day of the Teacher is turning into the day of the Mentor and Coach.  Although we will still need lots of creative minds of good curriculum writers, we may not so long, still need the person at the front of the classroom.   This has been my biggest "ah-ha" this week. 

Burgeoning piles of printed papers and forms to yet fill out, my life as an On-line student begins!