Managing Distractions over Turkey

I embrace 21 century learning.  I embrace all the comforts technology has brought to my life.  I embrace my Blackberry and web 2.0.  But honestly, things are getting out of hand.  Being overseas is amazing for more reasons than I care to list or you care to read, but the holidays are tough.  When I first came to Thailand 3 1/2 years ago, a neighbor told me Christmas in Thailand was beautiful and would top any other Christmas I could imagine.  The first year overseas I cried literary every day from Thanksgiving until Christmas.  Not sobbing uncontrollably or anything (I'm not quite that crazy), but tears would well up in my eyes as I would grocery shop at Villa and hear "Home" by Michael Buble.  My search for the perfect Christmas tree lead me to Carrefour where Dr. Seuss may have personally come and thrown up on Christmas.  The artificial trees come in a variety of colors such as hot pink, yellow, blue and day glow green.  The color evergreen was hard to find to say the least (in case you are wondering, it has since become more widely available).  Being away from family, friends, aromas and sounds may be the hardest part about being overseas during the holidays; therefore, holidays have become that much more important to me. 

Thanksgiving is full of wonderful memories, great conversations, and a true feeling of togetherness . . .then came this year.  My husband made a lovely meal with all the trimmings you can imagine.  The stage was set for a fabulous evening, except for one tiny detail that continues to really eat at me.  A guest at my house spent the better half of the evening texting underneath the table.  Honestly, I was so appalled that I did nothing except stew about it for the last three days.  When did this become acceptable in our society?  I don't think it is.  If the person at the other end of the text is more important and interesting than the people present at the table, then have dinner with them not me. 

I am constantly amazed at the audacity of people when it comes to technology.  Just because the world became smaller does not entitle the rest of the us to have to endure random cell phone ringing at a movie or play, obnoxious ring tones at inappropriate times, texting while talking to someone else, or emailing/twittering/facebooking during meetings at work.  Etiquette seems to be out the window.   If we can't teach adults proper etiquette, how can we teach our students?  Is there a best practice when technology gets in the way of human relationships?  I am still searching for better ways to manage the influx of outside tools in my classroom.  Now when I hand back an essay in class, my students jump on their cell phones to check their averages on PowerSchool.   When we are working on creative writing, my students are encouraged to listen to their iPods.  But texting at the Thanksgiving dinner table, I'm not ready for that world yet.  Are you?