Teaching with technology. Slides, internet, in-class videos, demonstrations. The paperless office and chalk-free classroom. (it is anyway- there is no chalk here). Fifteen years ago, the century changed and I dove head-first into the deep end of the pool of twentyfirst century technologies. I would NOT be the last sitting on the edge, still waving a broken piece of chalk when the black-boards turned to smart-screens. Turns out just before my dive landed someone had drained the pool. Not to worry they would fill it again when I was unconcious on the bottom. Technology worked fine here, for about two hours in my first class. However, this morning about 3:30 a.m. there was an eerie silence, except for the waves crashing against the shore and the wind in the mosquto netting, and a little more dark than one might wish.....actually it looked a lot like this. No power, no internet, NO HOT COFFEE!! Miraculously the 5 a.m. megaphonic music and announcements from the town were not detered by a complete lack of electricity so I was awakened to enjjoy the darkness. And for the full day, notes, assignments, slides, important emails whining about the situation, all buried in my computer of dwindling power. I was powerless ....again..... class delivered by scraping little symbols on overused tin off-white-board, Drilling in the wall outside and hammering in the other wall. The only power in Ghana seemed to be directed at sabotaging my class.
The power came back after dinner....everywhere except in my room. Apparently a fuse blew, but ONLY in my room. The gods of technology are angry. Perhaps they needed to sacrifice a virgin and I was the closest thing they could find? Hoping for power tomorrow, if only to make my coffee.