Peter posted a link to an interesting article which put an updated face on what people have been saying for years about laptops in the classroom. Soon it WILL be more cost effective to buy each student a laptop than a set of classroom textbooks. That realization changes the whole foundation of our schools. No more pencils, no more books a wise man once said. What would that classroom look like?
The one thing that I disagreed with was a student who when interviewed said there would no longer be any excuse for late assignments ("you can't say the dog ate it anymore") I have lots of faith in my students being able to come up with excuses for just about anything. Seriously though, we have thousands of employed, over worked IT professionals that live on fixing problem after problem with software and hardware. I think the more important realization here is that these students are not just comfortable with technology, it IS their culture. They communicate, create content, trouble shoot ... and they are younger than ever when they attain these skills.
Will I be teaching when this happens. Possibly. These kids may need it to happen sooner than later. I got my first cell phone 10 years ago and now I reach for it without thinking. Imagine what its like for these students who will never remember a time they didn't have their phone with them like a part of their body. The time is fast approaching.
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