ProfessorTOSA Blog

I wish that I lived in the forties or fifties, or whatever time it was when a surfer could surf alone and you could leave the front door of the house you purchased for near nothing unlocked. I wish I lived in the time my father recalls, and I wouldn’t mind that the technology of those days wasn’t “a read and write” one. Put in another way, I’m scared of the world I’m creating – the world that would be created without me – because I can’t ensure that my daughter’s world will be a happy one, an easy one, or one that I can help her to navigate no matter what it looks like.

I think about my schooling, and even my career to this day, and I can still call my father for advice. Granted, my dad is a smart guy, but parents in record numbers complain in this day and age about the world and their child’s place in it. They complain that they can’t help with academics past 6th, 7th, maybe 8th grade and they certainly can’t keep up with their child’s abilities with computers. What sort of guidance will I offer in ten years, when technology is, as Mark Prensky proclaims, “a billion times more powerful?” How long would even MY father be able to keep up?

I’m uneasy about this and not until I was a parent did I have this uneasy perspective, but apparently I’m not alone. It seems that fear of this unknown is The Great Deterent for teachers and other “immigrants” to fully accept new tech trends and to go on a limb and work to keep up with this world. I’ve realized that it’s this straight refusal that keeps some of the teachers out there away from all that I have researched and all that provides efficiency to my life and captures the interest of the students of this world.

I would not categorize the majority of my peers as hesitant. Not as a whole. I might have months ago, but as a staff, the teachers that I work with are tremendously able, flexible, and open to change – so long as it helps their student achievement. Proof. Maybe that is what we’re all looking for, proof. Maybe for “immigrants” the missing element is the clarity that time learning something new will improve their lives and NOT prove that their lives up to this point have been spent traveling in the wrong direction.

I’ve been working a lot lately and things in the tech world are making more sense to me now more than ever, and because of this, I am confused, scared, and wondering how my daughter and child on the way will do without me. Heck, I’m going to die someday and even if that fateful day comes farther than expected, might I be able to keep up, stay connected, and stay relevant in my children’s lives. Not sure, but for once, I do understand those who don’t see the big picture, who don’t accept the inevitable and teach with that in mind, and I wish I could look to my kids and know that I will be leaving the world a better place to live and fulfill their dreams.

Just a rant this time. Opinions welcome.