There is apparently a problem with my English...or maybe it's my vocabulary...or maybe, just maybe the technology people in my district need to learn to LISTEN. We (my entire campus) just moved back to our newly renovated, freshly painted school. Funny, my old portable with the falling apart ceiling tiles still looks remarkably unchanged...but hey, the school looks great!

We were given strict instructions to have our computers in the location where we wanted them set up...by a certain date...or else. The tech guys were coming to our school on ONE day and ONE day only so get ready.

The internet/phone set up is an odd thing in our district. The announcements and the bell all come through the phone speaker now. AND, the phone doesn't need an electrical cord...it just plugs into the computer and the internet drop. (Internet drop...you'll be hearing that again...a few times) SO...apparently it takes a rocket scientist to connect all those pesky wires...cause ya know...us teachers...apparently are missing the appropriate brain cells to do it ourselves.

As instructed I left my computers/phone to be connected by the pros...who were apparently in a hurry the day they worked in my room. My phone...doesn't...work. So I did what I was supposed to do...I called the handy, dandy, help desk. First, I listened to a recording about how the calls were handled in the order they were received...yada, yada, yada. Then, the tech answered...HEY...when did we hire WOMEN techs?? Our conversation went something like this:

Tech: I checked with the techs and your campus is all configured. Everything works.
Me: Uh, no, my phone doesn't work.
Tech: Did you do the set up yourself?
Me: No
Tech: What do the wires look like that are coming from your phone?
Me: Internet wires? Ethernet cords?
Tech: Check your phone...see the blue wire...what is it plugged into?
Me: An internet drop.
Tech: NO, what is it plugged into? A black box?
Me: No, an internet drop...we were just renovated, remember?
Tech: Right, your phones are all configured correctly. How many plugs are on the drop?
Me: Two
Tech: Right, it's an internet drop...they all have two. (NO KIDDING!) Your phone should be working fine.
Me: K, but mine doesn't work.
Tech: Unplug the cords from your phone and look at the phone screen...what do you see?
Me: It's unplugged, it doesn't show anything.
Tech: ANSWER MY QUESTION. What do you see?
Me: Duh...I see a blank screen.
Tech: Right, the phone is unplugged. It should be blank.

At this point I am beginning to realize I am not going to be helped. The tech said she would have to "do some research" and call me back. Yep, still waiting on that call back.