Two of my 11 grandchildren
– Brendan and DeAnthony – attended the International
Center’s Model Schools Conference this year in Orlando, June 26-29. It was quite
the experience!
Question: DeAnthony,
what did your grandfather do at the conference?
Answer: Grandpa stood
up on stage and told people what to do.
Hmm. Maybe
some of you who attended also felt the same way! Both boys,
like most of their peers, are what we at the International Center call “digital natives.” They
are immersed in, and comfortable with, virtually all forms of social media. At one
particular session – in part a discussion on digital tracking – I noticed DeAnthony
begin to fidget in the front row. He covered his face. He sighed. “De,” as we
call him, was not a happy camper! He started to
calm down as the session wound down, but something had shaken him. “De, what was
wrong?” I asked as the audience filed out. “Grandpa, I was
afraid you were going to tell them about some of the apps I use.”
Bill with his grandsons Brendan
and
DeAnthony (photo by Todd
Daggett)
Welcome to Data Mining
Soon – much
sooner than we think – we will be able to uncover all sorts of data. Apps are already
available to capture information on just about anyone.
As I said in
my last
blog post, corporations and colleges already are creating social media
review departments. Why? To vet potential employees and students.
Think about what
this means for some of our students. Might they not get into the college of
their choice? Might they be rejected for a good job before even getting a
chance to interview?
What about
us? Imagine irritating a parent, student or colleague, who in turn decides to check
you out. What websites do you visit? What have you “Googled?” What e-mails have
to written in the last month, and to whom?
Are you
squirming yet? What you share on the Internet stays there forever.
A New World Calls for a New Curriculum
Are we
preparing our students for this world? Are we educating them about the
permanence and the risks on the Internet? Are they digitally literate? Are we teaching
them to use technology wisely and effectively?
We all know
the answer to those questions, don’t we?
While working at the New York State Department of Education back in
the 1980s, I helped introduce drug prevention and sex education programs into
schools. It was a tough, bruising battle.
Today, social
media education may be the new battleground.
What will be
the curriculum? Who will develop it? Who will teach it?
I don’t have all
the answers. All I know is that we, as educational leaders, must get on top of
this issue in a hurry.
As
I mentioned in my last blog, at our Leadership Academy in October we’ll be focusing on teaching and learning in the
digital age. It has never been more critical to understand and teach digital
literacy, responsibility and consequences. I hope you can join us in San Diego.
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