My 17 year old son Tom was sick for Roshashana the Jewish New Year that we celebrated last night. I felt sorry for him and asked him if there was anything I could get him that would make him feel better. He answered “I don’t know Dad, all I want I get on my laptop”.
When I was his age being sick meant book, magazines, videos and TV. Now all that comes over the internet.
But then I thought that everything I could possibly get him I could get him thanks to the internet. That our home, our car, our vacation home and whatever we have we owe to the companies I built that deliver the internet to people. That my career has been all about companies that deliver the internet to everyone, including my son Tom. He gets his internet via Jazztel and Ya.com and Fon (the two Spanish telcos that I founded and deliver internet via DSL, and Fon WiFi).
So there we were, a son who anything he wanted while sick was on the internet and a father who anything he could possibly buy him was thanks to the Internet.
We are a good fit Tom and I.
Follow Martin Varsavsky on Twitter: twitter.com/martinvars
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Eduardo Lina on October 3, 2011 ·
Hi! First, I hope your son feels better now…
As for me, I wouldn’t say that everything I want and own I owe to the Internet, but I tend to agree that the Internet has provided me with opportunities I wouldn’t have had, had the Internet not existed. I will give you one example that might interest you, Martin, because it is a touchy subject with you: English.
I will mention two sites you are familiar with: Educared (http://www.educared.org/global/educared/) and Educar (http://www.educ.ar/). I take part in many online activities and online courses offered by both (I like those offered by Educar a lot). As a teacher, the Internet has given me opportunities for professional development that I wouldn’t have had without it. I have learned a lot, indeed, and guess my pupils have benefited from this, too.
The Internet has given me the opportunity to pay back. There is a big International Conference going in Spain (http://encuentro2011.educared.org/). Well, it’s going on elsewhere because it is on the Net, too. I have been given the possibility of contributing (as a volunteer, of course). To make a long story short, this week I will be running a Forum for teachers of English as a Foreign Language where the attitude is, as in the entire Conference “Learning is sharing”. It will all be in English, of course.
I am looking forward to meeting lots of colleagues from Spain, Brazil and Spanish – speaking Central and South American countries. There might be people from other countries as well. I hope it happens (time will say). To be sure, I am aware of the importance English has in those countries (just as English is important here in Israel, where I am and from where I contribute my share).
This is the link to that forum: http://encuentro2011.educared.org/group/por-determinar
Don’t worry about the “por determinar” part because what is important is the goal, and that is clear…
Maybe one of these days I will be able to give something back to Educar, too . However, let’s see what happens this week …
Shana Tova and Gmar Chatima (Jatima to get the sound in Spanish) Tova!
Shalom from Israel
Eduardo Lina on October 4, 2011 ·
Hello, Martin!
I tried twice to upload my comment yesterday,but somehow my attempts failed. I’ll give it another chance from a different computer today.
I hope your son feels better now…
As for me, I wouldn’t say that everything I want and own I owe to the Internet, but I tend to agree that the Internet has provided me with opportunities I wouldn’t have had, had the Internet not existed. I will give you one example that might interest you, Martin, because it is a touchy subject with you: English (teaching, it studying it , speaking it. etc.)
I will mention two sites you are familiar with: Educared and Educar. I take part in many online activities and online courses offered by both (I like those offered by Educar a lot). As a teacher, the Internet has given me opportunities for professional development that I wouldn’t have had without it. I have learned a lot, indeed, and guess taht so far my pupils have benefited from this, too.
The Internet has given me the opportunity to pay back. There is a big International Conference going in Spain (and elsewhere because it is on the Net, too), and I have been given the possibility of contributing (as a volunteer, of course). To make a long story short, this week I will be running a Forum for teachers of English as a Foreign Language where the attitude is, as in the entire Conference “Learning is sharing”. It will all be in English, of course.
I am looking forward to meeting lots of colleagues from Spain, Brazil and Spanish – speaking Central and South American countries. There might be people from other countries, too. I hope it happens (time will say). I know the importance English has in those countries (just as English is important here in Israel, where I am and from where I contribute my share).
Here is the link to the Forum in the framework of the Conference:
http://encuentro2011.educared.org/group/por-determinar
Maybe one of these days I will be able to give something back to Educar, too.
Shana Tova and GmarChatima (Jatima for the Spanish sound) Tova!
Eduardo
Eduardo Lina on October 5, 2011 ·
Hi!
I have tied to comment on this post, but there seems to be a problem uploading comments here (I have tried from different computers). If I see this is uploaded, then I will share something that might interest you, as it has to do with the Internet and with teaching and learning English.
I hope your son is well now.
Shana Tova and Chatima Tova!
Eduardo
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Jeronimo on October 1, 2011 ·
Isn´t it sad that Tom will never ever live like common people?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqgXzPfAxjo
http://www.lyricsdepot.com/pulp/common-people.html