High tech, high touch in schools, libraries, and lives

It's another snow day here in Minnesota. A few days into April and instead of flowers blooming, we are seeing 7-10 inches of the white stuff. The roads are messy, but I came into the office as I do on all snow days. Besides having a relatively quiet day of cancelled meetings and fewer emails and phone calls, I also like seeing others who work in my office and in my building. Sitting home can get boring and a little lonely. And the others who come in ... could it be the same for them?

Back in the dark ages before many of you were even a twinkle in your daddy's eye, a very smart fellow named John Naisbitt wrote a book that fascinated me: 1982's Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives. It was the first time I remember seeing the term "Information Economy."

While a few of Naisbitt's predictions were optimistic and lots of the details were wrong, several trends were dead on. The one I best remember was number 2:

from Summary: Review & Analysis of Naisbitt's Book Megatrends, BusinessNews Publishing, nd.

This megatrend has especially played out in the design of many schools and libraries. As we have added digital resources and tools in our schools, so have we added spaces for group work and collaboration. As our libraries increasing rely on e-books and online materials, so too have we re-worked the spaces to make them more welcoming and comfortable. As we collect, store, analyze, and use more data on students, we also view them more as individuals and recognize the critical impact of caring adults in their lives.

While Naisbitt may have gotten some of the specifics wrong in his predictions, the essence is right. Many of us who use technology for long periods of time, do look for ways to connect with others,  do look for a balance through nature, exercise, and group activities. Increased interest in social movements and spirituality may be a reaction to smartphones, the Gig Economy, and teleconferencing.

For many of us, the jury is still out whether technology has had a net positive of negative impact on our own lives and on the lives of those about whom we care - including our students. I would like to think that the outcome is not a given, but a challenge and goal for which we can strive...