Caught in the Web, Trapped in the Net

My students were doing a research project and set to see what resources they could find on the World Wide Web. Unfortunately, first period we couldn't get on-line because a someone had changed all the settings. I assured the students that this must have been to good purpose, but with him or her gone, we were out of luck for today. I spent my prep period reading the manual and had the settings back in place for my third period students. But when they tried to dial up, there was no dial tone. The only telephone line available to us is also the English Department line, and a teacher needed to return parent phone calls all period.

Fourth period my seniors come in ready to work on a community resource directory they had been researching all semester. The team working on the final draft typed away all hour and then left me to watch over the machine while it sorted the pages they had so carefully arranged. What they didn't know was that the computer crashed as soon as they left. As they hadn't saved their work, all was lost.

I promise I am not making this up.

Fifth period was going to be different. We had the computer purring, the lines open, all systems go. My students dialed in only to have the server respond that it was full. Access denied. The dialogue box sweetly suggested we try back later. Toward the end of the period we did get on-line, but then the program froze.

Sixth period was more of the some. I decided to bring out my Powerbook to show two girls how to access news groups through America Online. I asserted in a rather arrogant tone that at least here we would have no problems. This was my system, my computer, my account. I knew my way around. But I spoke too soon. Together we read that all too familiar message: "Host could not respond.' Redialing, the screen blinked and then blacked out. My battery was dead. And the chord at home.

That night I saw a television commercial showing kids around the world hooked up via video link using computers. It ended with a dramatic, proud voice proclaiming that Apple connects over a million students every day. I laughed so hard my wife and sons come running.