What Happens When You Lose Your Internet Connection?
I am just amazed how technology has allowed me to teach students in the online environment. I have students scattered across the country and every week we come together for a live seminar. Suddenly, in the middle of my seminar the unexpected happened. I lost my Internet connection. I was stunned that this could happen at the worst possible time. The students will think that I have just disappeared into cyberspace. Actually, I did disappear into that black hole of cyberspace. My first thought was "Oh My God" what will I do now. How do I contact the students to let them know what is happening?
As panic set in, I called tech support to alert them of the problem. I was told that the problem was on my end. So, I asked them to go into the course room and post a message for the students that I was having technical problems. This will buy me some time while I figure out what to do next. Of course there was no point in calling my Internet provider and wasting precious time listening to a recorded message. After spending about 10 minutes trying to get my Internet connection back, I decided to try getting an Internet connection by using my cell phone. I had practiced using my cell phone before just in case an emergency occurred.
Of course my mind went totally blank on how to get a connection through my cell phone. Since I knew I couldn't rely on my memory, I wrote all steps down in my computer bible. The computer bible has all of my contact numbers for emergencies and emergency computer back up plans. I found the instructions and hoped that I would get an Internet connection. I was thrilled that it worked and I was able to finish the class.
The funny thing about the online environment is that the students are accustomed to technical issues that may arise. During my 15 minutes of cyberspace hell, the students were carrying on conversations about my difficulties. Some of the comments included "I hope the instructor can find her Internet connection" and "She and I must have the same Internet provider." We picked up where we left off and the rest of the class went perfectly.
Teaching in an online environment has its challenges. One of the biggest lessons for me with this experience is learning that I cannot control technology. The best that I can do is stay calm and be prepared with an alternative plan.