Mobile phones are hugely convenient, although I use mine more as a texting device and alarm clock, partly because my plan is such that it will be expensive for me to make long calls, but more so because I don’t want the phone to intrude on me all the time. I got interested in Facebook (myspace is a pain, too tricky to use - I notice they have now made myspace look more like Facebook!) when organising a school reunion in 2008, and we now have several hundred former students (including many folks over the age of 40) who joined FB just to access all the school photos I uploaded. Now they have reconnected with old friends both electronically and in person, which was perhaps the most gratifying outcome of the reunion beyond the day itself (400 people attended). They are supporting each other via FB in a range of ways, from one former student recently being diagnosed with lymphoma who was chatting to an ex schoolmate for support just as he had discovered this, to another whose autistic son has just spoken for the first time in his 11 years! Yet another former student happens to be a Special Needs teacher, and has been supporting the mother of this boy (who also has a son with Asperger’s) in finding a welcoming secondary school place for this other son. I personally have found my long lost godson who is interstate - I last saw him when he was 10, he is now 23! An old friend I haven’t seen in ten years who I have caught up with twice in the last few months. Another long lost friend from overseas who was an exchange student I was given the role of taking under my wing back in high school. Facebook is also valuable for me in finding and disseminating sustainability related material and making valuable new contacts. As you are not posting material to a particular community of interest (ie. those who are already into things), often you can cross fertilise and find out what other people are into as well as them being exposed to the kind of ideas they might otherwise not be. I find that mobile phone and social networking technology helps me plan and find out about face to face socialising opportunities, for example my musician friends who have gigs post them as events on FB, you can then easily share this with others. It is easy to fritter time on FB, and some of it is just another form of electronic entertainment - I watch less TV instead. It all depends on how you want to use it! You make it work FOR you - not become the master of you.

My name is Liam, I use technology for my education. I am a year 7 student, who is part of Marden Open Access College. I have lessons on my laptop, using Centra, via a wireless broadband connection . If not for the technology I would struggle with my education. My mum, dad & I have been travelling around Oz for the last year. Hi I’m Madeleine and I also do my lessons on the computer. With out my computer I’d go nuts because I’d be so bored. I connect with others using msn and AIM (A roleplaying site) sometimes I use email too. Hi I’m Sian and I use my laptop to go to school. If I didn’t have technology I would not be able to learn.