cc licensed flickr photo shared by tamburix
“Communications tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring. The invention of a tool doesn’t create change; it has to have been around long enough that most of society is using it. It’s when a technology becomes normal, then ubiquitous, and finally so pervasive as to be invisible, that the really profound changes happen, and for young people today, our new social tools have passed normal and are heading to ubiquitous, and invisible is coming.” Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody
I had a great opportunity to speak with educators in Bawlf, Alberta today and since many of my talks are planned, yet impromptu, it came up (in my head) that we really need to stop focusing on the technology. So many people get caught up in this and I have to admit, if it is not about learning, why are we doing it. The thing is, we never talk about “pencil integration” in our classes but we are often so focused when we use technology.
This is not about the tool, it is about learning. The tool is just the medium we are using at the time. I am doing my best to use the term “innovative instruction” (thanks Alec) when talking about what works best for our students. This could mean using a pencil, a computer, a brush, your hands, whatever, but focuses on innovative ways for students to learn.
Let’s just ensure that there is a balance of tools we are using, and just focus on what best meets the needs of our students.
Are we there yet?
