“But you did grow up with technology”

I have never been a fan of the term digital native. In my opinion, the youth do not have a monopoly on the knowledge of how to use technology. This term popped into my head this week as I was discussing methods on using two large screens in a classroom with a teacher. I showed her how I could use a Google Chromecast to send one particular Chrome tab to a TV while showing something different to the projector. She was very interested in the setup, but said, “I wish I had grown up with technology”.

There was a brief look of shock on her face. And then it hit me. We get stuck in this world of being an adult, and forget that we are still growing and learning. Just because we didn’t have access to comething during our all too brief childhood doesn’t mean that it’s no longer needing to be learned.

The world has become a highly technical place, where people skills dominate, but technology skills come in second. No longer do we as teachers get hired for a position that will stay the same for 35 years. Each year brings new opportunities and chances for learning.

No matter what our age, we are all growing up together.