Listen, just because your two year old can play games on an iPad doesn't mean they are a technology wiz. When a parent tells me their kid is some digital genius because he can get Netflix going on the TV all by himself I just want to rip my eyeballs out and roll them down the hallway.
You've probably had this conversation with a parent.
"Oh little Johnny is going to work in tech. He spends hours on his computer every day. He beat Angry Birds on my phone in ten minutes!"
Sounds like this kid has already audited his way to a computer science degree.
But really, think about it. So many people are fooling themselves into believing the consumption of digital content is authentic ability in using technology. This regressive thinking is shared by many teachers! A large part of my job is working with teachers to integrate technology, and many conversations usually begin or end with, "But, doesn't this stuff just come naturally to them" or "these kids are great with computers....why teach it?"
It bugs me because we THINK our kids can use computers when they really can't. And these vague understandings about what teachers should be doing with technology has damaging and far lasting consequences for kids in the 21st century. Technology skills will be the new baseline for work skills for the next several decades. Yet we assume students already have these skills when they can barely turn on their screens!
And so when we argue for increased tech in schools, the argument cannot be "that's where they are." The argument must be that our kids need to see it used effectively and with useful outcomes. That the application needs to be deeper than turning on a device, opening an app, or playing a game. Using a device does not mean you are in control of the technology.
This should start with primary grade teachers. A basic understanding of technology for communication. Understanding and using correct terminology (Sorry, a video on the internet isn't necessary a YouTubes). Why making a Google Slides presentation is not computing but in fact simply a way to present information. Showing that articles on the internet are not necessarily true and that we need to have discernment about media and be literate in our understanding of it.
This requires leadership and a changing of focus in our field and in our schools. Tech isn't something kids are natives of -- it's something we are all, to differing extents, immigrants to. We have invested so much money in technology, yet struggle to use our tech for any kind of authentic use. As we get deeper into the 21st century, I am hoping that our leaders start to realize this and begin to understand the power in their phones, tablets, and other devices, and how we can improve the way we use these things. Let's unlock the power of the device. Let's give students the power to explore, create, program, code, and design. Not just to make education better, but to make our lives better as well.
