Deerfield looking at D100

[OakParkSpartan]

http://dps109supt.edublogs.org

Seems like someone thinks they are doing something right!

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

http://dps109supt.edublogs.org

Seems like someone thinks they are doing something right!

I recently spoke to a teacher in the primary grades in District 100 who was not too thrilled with educating our very youngest students primarily using technology devices.  This person felt that the youngest children in the district would or did not benefit in the same way that older children would just given their age and learning curve.  After hearing that I was very happy that my youngest (and last child in District 100) did not receive a MacBook until she was in the intermediate grades.  Technology is a wonderful thing when properly applied but I feel we are still in the learning phase of when best to let computers take over teaching our children.  I was in a restaurant recently where I had to wait for a table with other customers.  When a two year old started to get antsy his mother just grabbed her tablet, pulled up some popular children show and placed it in front of him to placate him.  This was the limit of her interaction with her child to calm him down.  Call me old fashioned or whatever you want but I feel that while technology can be a positive learning aid it certainly shouldn't replace some of the tried and true education methods of the past that have produced some very great minds.

[scottymac]

Mrs. N, this is how we live now. I have a Kindergartener at Irving (along with 3 other boys in the Berwyn public schools) and at curriculum night I was pretty surprised at how much the technology was being integrated into the kids learning experience. 40 years ago, I just remember taking a nap and playing with blocks in Kindergarten. I'm sure years ago calculators were frowned upon in the same way. My 5 year old is way smarter right now than my 14 year old was 9 years ago. I believe that technology has, and will keep the learning curve increasing exponentially. 

I remember Penn Gillette recently questioned whether it was more important for students to actually know subject matter, or to be able to know where to find it.

I find myself leaning on the side of knowing how/where to find it. I hope I get a chance to see what my grandchildren will be learning with in another 20 or so years!