But haven't we always...? The new normal
Friday, August 20, 2010 at 06:34AM We may be lost, but we're making good time. - Yogi Berra
I love the Beloit Mindset list. It's a great reminder that for today's kids some things have just always been a fact of life. That some technologies that still seem remarkable to geezers like me are about as exciting as indoor plumbing or electric lights to them.
A few of examples from this year's Mindset List:
Having hundreds of cable channels but nothing to watch has always been routine.
Toothpaste tubes have always stood up on their caps.
The dominance of television news by the three networks passed while they were still in their cribs.
The first computer they probably touched was an Apple II; it is now in a museum.
Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM disk drive.
They never twisted the coiled handset wire aimlessly around their wrists while chatting on the phone.
I have evidence that teachers are getting younger all the time (and that we old teachers' memories are getting shorter.) I hear "But haven't we teachers always...
- Had web-based school e-mail?
- Had individual school webpages?
- Stored documents online?
- Had student and parent portals to our gradebooks?
- Only done states tests in computer labs?
- Had IWBs and permanently mounted projectors in our classrooms?
- Used electronic gradebooks, done attendance online and gotten staff bulletins via e-mail?
- Searched for books using the online catalog from our classroom or home?
- Received a new computer every five years and had a choice of laptop or desk top?
- Had high speed Internet access from our classrooms and been able to look anything up on a second's notice?
- Had lots and lots of data on every student?
- Had access to online tutorials like AtomicLearning and online videos like Learn360?
Give it six months around here and I hope they'll be saying "But haven't we always ...
- Had caller ID and our own DID number on our VOIP phones?
- Had kids turn in their assignments by sharing them on GoogleDocs?
- Used shared calendars?
- Used online handouts, agendas and minutes for our meetings instead of paper?
- Found all our curriculum guides online?
Maybe a short memory and high expectations is a GOOD thing. We keep raising the bar for the "new normal" when it comes to technology use in our district. Maybe not as quickly as some would like (why aren't we doing 1:1?) - and way too fast for others (collaborative learning tools are just a new way for kids to cheat!).
At least it feels like upward movement.
Oh, just for fun:
Reader Comments (2)
Doug:
The Mindset links are not working. They bring up a 404-PAGE NOT FOUND. :(
Thank for letting me know. I think they're fixed now.
The search engine on the blog works pretty good too if you are looking for something.
All the best,
Doug