It's Just There...

This post originally appeared on Keeping Pace on January 24, 2014

Recently Keeping Pace blogged on “Getting computers and high-speed Internet access into schools: the Louisiana example.” This post reminded me of a story I heard Dr. Michio Kaku share at the eTech Ohio Conference a few years ago. The story he shared went something like this...

Years ago people walked into a room and were in awe that electricity was present. They noticed the indoor lighting and it became a topic of conversation. Over time, electricity was accepted as the norm and we no longer walk into a venue and note that it has indoor lighting or power. It’s expected.

Today we walk into a classroom and comment on how many iPads, Chromebooks, or other devices we see. We should have the same expectation of technology in a classroom as we have in electricity. We shouldn’t be focused on the technology (or the electricity) in the room; it should just be an expected part of any classroom. The conversation should be on what the students are creating and learning - not on the tools that they are using to do so. When this happens, we will truly be preparing students for college and career readiness.