If It Aint Broke, You Still Need To Try Something Else

For the last two years here in Burlington, there has been a great deal of focus on our integration of iPads into our classrooms. It has been an exciting time where many people have changed their workflows and started to rethink what learning environments can and should look like.  But even as I witness the excitement from students and teachers as we continue to add devices at the middle and high school level, I am always wondering if we are going to remain open-minded to other possibilities that may come along.

A recent post by Royan Lee on his must read blog, Spicy Learning, got me thinking more about this. In the post, titled "Why Mish-Mash Is Better Than 1:1," Royan states the following:

"I prefer teaching with the limitations of no class sets, because it means we’re constantly reflecting on the merits of each tool for the given purpose."

As I think about the skills that our students will need most, I am sure that flexibility and adaptability will be at the top of the list.  I think the best option for students would be a buffet of options where they can choose which option is best for them and the task at hand.  I am worried that we will be handicapped by traditional thinking and forget that the question of which device is best or which tool is best to perform a particular task will never again have a static answer.

This whole thing is a moving target that I don't ever see stopping. We need to make sure that we are helping our students see beyond the device or resource of the day and keep their eyes open for what comes next.