BFTP: These horses are out of the barn

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. - Arthur Schopenhauer

There are some educational "truths" that we can't change, even if we wanted to. These educational technology resources, annoyances, and conditions are here to stay despite some educators denial, resistance and fast grip on the status quo. The sooner educators, especially tech directors and administrators, accept that these things are a permanent part of the educational landscape, the sooner attention will be paid to using them positively and productively.

Here is my short list of things that just are not going to go away...

• Cellphones/Smartphones in schools
• Student-owned netbooks, laptops, tablets in schools and their distracting qualities
• Deficiencies in Internet filters
• Web 2.0 tools - wikis, blog, Nings, Flickr, Delicious, etc...
• Wikipedia
• GoogleSearch
• Term paper mills
• Filter work-arounds for the social media app du jour
• YouTube
• Tasteless websites loved by middle school students
• Gaming in education
• Demand/expectation for public wi-fi access by students, staff and visitors
• E-books, especially e-textbooks
• Music downloading
• Open source software
• Texting short hand
• Off site applications and hosting - ASPs and cloud computing
• Computerized testing
• Budget inadequacies, budget scrutiny, budget justifications
• Online classes and online schools

These horses are gone, boys and girls, and there's no putting them back in the barn.

Get over it.

Figure out ways to saddle the horse and ride it.

Original post November 23, 2009

Comments

[Sharon Gullett]

I would add one more. A digital footprint...even if you try your best to not have one.

[Doug Johnson]

Good addition, Sharon. Thanks for adding it. (I am sooo happy there was no Internet when I was a teenager!)

Doug​