I'm seething ...

Maybe it's just me.  Maybe I'm just old-fashioned.  Maybe I'm WAY behind the times.  But I did not like the news that I was given at work today.

Our district is the first BYOT district in Texas.  That means that we are implementing "Bring Your Own Technology" to school.  Kids will be taught their lessons on the latest technologies.  If they have them.  And, if not, their parents will feel MUCH pressure to buy everything for their kiddos.

Kids in our district are now allowed to bring their phones, laptops and Ipads and Ipods to school.  Even their laptops.  They can bring their Nook Books and Kindles and whatever else is out there on the market today. 

The facilitator of my workshop said ... get this ... kids are no longer taught to learn the capitols of the United States ... because they don't need them anymore.  Instead they are taught where to go to look them up if the need arises.

Yes, the kids in my district are taught to GOOGLE.  Their words, not mine.

I saw red.  But I seemed to be the only one who didn't like this new policy.

I can still recall the capitols of the United States.  And I still think they are important.  Why would I ever want to explore the states and learn about government... if I didn't even have a clue what a capitol was.  Or where it was.

But, I guess it doesn't matter ... as long as I had my iPad, I could certainly find out the answer if the need arose.  And I suspect it never would among their peers.

I remember having an argument with my best friend Nancy once.  She told me that I didn't know my bible very well (I didn't) while she did.  Well, true.  I didn't, but I had memorized every one of the ten commandments and I tried to live by them.  I asked her if she knew them.  She said no, but she knew where to find them.

Hmmm.

So ... right before I kill someone, I should stop and look it up, to see if it's okay.  And that's why it's important to know where they are.  Okay, so maybe it's not quite the same thing.  But in mind little mind it is.

And you know what?  Kids already know how to GOOGLE.  Teach them something they don't know.

I'll get off my soapbox now.  If I can find it.
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