Techno. is now in! :-)

Being of the Digital Age, technology consumers strive for ease.  The article Tools for Teks, by Wesley Fryer, is exactly what the educators are looking for.  Not only was the article succinct in its descriptions, it also included links to various sites for easy access.  This allows the reader not only to understand the materials, but to use them as well.  Bravo.  The tools listed such as social bookmarking, or my new favorite "Rubi-star", are tools that can only enhance the Education realm.

My students are currently researching Francophone countries: a project geared toward opening their eyes to other cultures.  During their Library time, half of the class needed to use books as resources for their information.  The students did not even know where to look in the Library for the resource materials, let alone how to use the index of an encyclopedia.  However, once the internet was accessible, the information needed was acquired in half the amount of time.

Even though technology is necessary for survival in their world, should we still be teaching the former skills needed for research?  Will it actually matter to them if in 10 years they do not know how to access reference materials?  What if we equate it to something that is not as precious to the Digital Immigrants as are books.  For example, I could not tell you how to load a microfiche, or even how to figure out that cataloguing system!  I was taught at one point, used the information needed, and have since forgotten it.  What is the point now? I can type it into Google, and my desired facts magically appear.  Are reference books today's example of microfiche?  Will their necessity and importance soon be forgotten by our students? Will it be the same as 8-tracks, records, or VHS tapes?

Probably.  All I know is that even though they could not begin to explain what an Almanac was, they were able to fix my computer when the program malfunctioned.  Thank you for teaching me today.