School may be out for my students, but not for me. I’m in the middle of a week-long technology institute in Cambridge, MA. When I signed up for the institute, I was pretty darn excited. Cambridge! MIT! Microsoft Research and Development! New Literacies! Ph.d Programs! Geek geek geeeeeeeeeeeeeek! I squeaked.

Two hours into the first day I was pretty defeated. Cutting edge? I discovered the resources covered in 1995, the second year I ever taught. New literacies? The web has been around long enough that it doesn’t count as new, and evaluating students on how well they communicate tone via email really isn’t any different from teaching kids how to communicate tone via a hard copy memo.

Listen, technology doesn’t just equal the web. And it doesn’t just equal free. Honestly, it doesn’t just equal student-centered, either. How about looking at quality back-end systems that more effectively links students, teachers, administrators, and parents? How about round-table discussions of what is working in schools currently and what the next steps are?

It’s hard, I know. I understand that I’m ahead of the curve. That I go home and nerd out on the computer downloading trial software, seeing how I can use it in class, and then either buying it or deleting it. Most people don’t do that.

But, why does every institute/conference/professional development revolve around the entry level? Where is the sport or expert class training sessions?

I’m so annoyed that so much time has to be spent on teaching people how to access a WiFi spot, or how to set up accounts, or how to download software. Here’s another idea--if you know your work computer is completely locked down, why bring it to a tech conference and suck up our valuable time trying to fix your problem when we can’t?

Grump grump grump.

I want to explore ways to increase students’ ability to read critically, write fluently and think broadly, but here we are still glossing over the depth. I think I need to purchase The Shallows and dig deeper.