Comments on: Kids and the future…can we even imagine? http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/10/10/kids-and-the-futurecan-we-even-imagine/ Pull up a chair...stop, look, listen...and reflect Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:28:14 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dawn Pile http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/10/10/kids-and-the-futurecan-we-even-imagine/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Dawn Pile Sun, 14 Oct 2007 23:53:22 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/10/10/kids-and-the-futurecan-we-even-imagine/#comment-3 Thanks for our comments and question. Clearly, part of what I am thinking about is that all that is available to students today is quite different than what could have been imagined when I was a child, much less those who grew up in the early 1900's. How could I have even dreamed as a 6th grader of the creation of something called a tablet PC? But here we are. I absolutely agree that teachers, in particular, will have to become more familiar and comfortable with much of the technology that will be part of children's educational experience in our schools. Some may choose to leave the field of education if the technology piece is too daunting or if there is not the desire to immerse themselves in the learning and use of it. That is ok. However, education will not go back from these new tech tools and I hope that there will be many creative ways to introduce them to teachers and to walk through how to acquire the skills to use them. Life is like that in many dimensions...some seem more intimidating than others...some match modalities of learning and others are much more challenging, even feel impossible. Some teachers will take to the new tech tools like a fish to water and wonder why this didn't happen 50 years ago; others will need more time and guidance. How will we build in the time to do this well and during a prime time of day? Of course, once learned and familiar, some who thought they couldn't do it, including this writer, may wonder what took so long! Thanks for our comments and question. Clearly, part of what I am thinking about is that all that is available to students today is quite different than what could have been imagined when I was a child, much less those who grew up in the early 1900’s. How could I have even dreamed as a 6th grader of the creation of something called a tablet PC? But here we are. I absolutely agree that teachers, in particular, will have to become more familiar and comfortable with much of the technology that will be part of children’s educational experience in our schools. Some may choose to leave the field of education if the technology piece is too daunting or if there is not the desire to immerse themselves in the learning and use of it. That is ok. However, education will not go back from these new tech tools and I hope that there will be many creative ways to introduce them to teachers and to walk through how to acquire the skills to use them. Life is like that in many dimensions…some seem more intimidating than others…some match modalities of learning and others are much more challenging, even feel impossible. Some teachers will take to the new tech tools like a fish to water and wonder why this didn’t happen 50 years ago; others will need more time and guidance. How will we build in the time to do this well and during a prime time of day? Of course, once learned and familiar, some who thought they couldn’t do it, including this writer, may wonder what took so long!

]]> By: admin http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/10/10/kids-and-the-futurecan-we-even-imagine/comment-page-1/#comment-2 admin Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:36:08 +0000 http://trinityweblog.org/dpile/2007/10/10/kids-and-the-futurecan-we-even-imagine/#comment-2 Very interesting questions to ponder, DP. Nice post as well. Although I know that you tend to think about education in terms of your audience (3s-1st), I wonder what you think about the following question: What implications are there for teachers' understanding/knowledge/use of technology given the fact that new tech tools (like blogs, wikis, and podcasts) are creeping into education? I think that there are lots of learning opportunities for students who use these tools for educational purposes, but so much is dependent on the teacher familiarity and comfort level. Very interesting questions to ponder, DP. Nice post as well.

Although I know that you tend to think about education in terms of your audience (3s-1st), I wonder what you think about the following question: What implications are there for teachers’ understanding/knowledge/use of technology given the fact that new tech tools (like blogs, wikis, and podcasts) are creeping into education? I think that there are lots of learning opportunities for students who use these tools for educational purposes, but so much is dependent on the teacher familiarity and comfort level.

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