So I'm sitting in a conference today about technology in the classroom, and the presenter says "Most of us in this room are scared of technology, but kids today start clicking and tapping away without ever reading a single direction. We (adults) read all the directions because we are scared to do something wrong and break it." This statement was so true. Looking at a computer game projected on the screen, the professor asked, "What do you do next?" Everyone in the room is paralyzed or frantically reading every word on the page, but ignoring the obvious answer. Click the "Play Game" button. That's what kids would do. That's what I did. My 5th graders don't read directions, and neither do I. They're 10, I'm 26. Sixteen years apart and we have a comparable comfort level with technology.
Why is that? Probably because I grew up with a computer, like my 5th graders. Sure it was ancient, didn't have a mouse, and I only remember being able to play "Concentration" on it. But it was a computer nonetheless. It didn't have a word processor, so I did dabble with the Typewriter. But a few years later, circa 1997, we upgraded to a newer, revolutionary PC. This bad boy had loads of programs for me to play around with.. and get this.. the INTERNET! That's right. This was probably the biggest controversy of the household because we had to clog the land line to use our dial-up connection. My dad only had one sister which means only two women in his house, which means only two phone users, which means he couldn't handle us all fighting over the phone and Internet. He caved getting us a second land line. Thanks to AOL messenger and a ghost type writing program on the Amundsen's computer, I became quite a savvy typist. While my sister, brother and I clicked away carelessly on the computer figuring out the new technology, my dad was reading the first addition of Internet for Dummies.
My dad still complains, as he did fifteen years ago, that us kids are breaking his computer every time we use it (though Cam probably is.) But that's one reason kids are so fearless with technology. They don't care if they break it because their parents will just replace it. One of the girls I babysit is now 5. But a year ago, she would take my iTouch and turn it on, click on the game, and play, all without any instruction from me. Even if she could do something wrong, (which she really can't) she doesn't know it because she doesn't know ownership or responsibility (fair enough she's 5.) She learned through her own trial and errors. But this no responsibility idea pretty much continues thru mid high school, and for otherwise thru college and beyond (#yikes #growup #thatsanotherstory) which allows for students to become even more knowledge with the available technology.
Middle aged adults are not afraid of the cell phone, but their view and use of them are much different than younger generations. When I'm out with friends, 5 out of 6 people have their phones on the table. The 6th person is either older (borderline into the next generation), or on it. We young(?) adults won't necessarily focus our attention on our phones but we like it in our line of sight just in case we need to clarify that your high school friend is pregnant, locate the closest liquor store, or find out if G&B are in Chicago this weekend. And of course if our phones light up, we need to respond to anyone important for the night's plans. The generation before ours.. high school to about 20 years old, have their cell phones glued to their texting hands. They rarely to never use their phones to Google information or have a phone conversation. Just texting. You never have this age groups undivided attention because at least 50% of their attention is designated to their cells at all times. Anyone around the age of 10 with a phone has 12 contacts-- their family members and a few miscellaneous friends who happen to have a cell phone too. They use their phones to get a ride, to tell their mom where they're going, or foward "chain" messages to their friends. And from my dad, This is what I get.. "Don't text me so late because then my phone beeps all night and I don't know how to shut the dang thing off." When his phone rings, he has to answer it right away because he doesn't want it to go to voicemail. While this may not be true for everyone in their 40's and 50's and on, it's safe to say that it takes (most of) them 10 minutes to respond "ok" to a text message.
So what am I getting at here? Obviously that my generation is the perfect combination of tech savvy and responsibility. (Probably not-- but I never said I'm unbiased.) I'm also saying I have qualities about me similar to my 10-year old students. Like my kids, I know that computers, iPads, cell phones, etc. are not going to just spontaneously combust. Ask my in about 20 years how I feel about technology. I'll probably sound more like my dad.
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