Tech Spotting

I'm co-teaching a graduate level course called Technology in the Classroom.  We teach pre-service teachers how to successfully integrate technology into their future classrooms.  

We had a great discussion about why technology is important for young people.  Some learners are absolutely not going to integrate any technology into their classroom (despite all the awesome things they learn in the course).  Others can't wait to jump in get the kids going.  Then someone asked me my thoughts (knowing I have a 1:1 classroom).  

I gave one example in my response:

I took a load of garbage to the Minneapolis Transfer Station.  This is where you can take trash that is too extensive to put in the regular garbage.  I had a trailer load of construction waste.  I walked into the office and they took my driver's license.  They scanned it, looked up my address, and weighed my trailer all from the computer.  They had a little screen for me to sign.  

Garbage.  And look at all the technology.  If even the garbage man needs to know technology, I should be doing everything in my power to get technology into my studentsir hands.  I hope and pray that everyone of the students goes on to higher ed and gets a high paying career.  But if they don't, even the garbage man needs to know technology.

Since then, I've seen technology everywhere.

• The U.S. Olympic Women's Volleyball coaching staff had a laptop on the bench.  I don't know what they were doing but I'm guessing it was related to winning the match.
• My nurse and doctor both entered information during my appointment into a laptop.  They even sent in a prescription to my pharmacy.
• The New Hope Cinema Grill takes orders from customers using iPod Touches.  Not only is this extremely cool but these are high school kids working cutting edge technology.
• Staples Mills Brewing Company runs their tap room with an iPad.  I stopped by for pint and they rang me up using Square.
• My church has a website.
• Our food shelf is moving toward an electronic card system for tracking clients.
• My car mechanic plugged a cord into my car and the laptop told him what needed to be fixed.

It's everywhere.  If I'm not bringing technology into my classroom, I'm not preparing my students for life outside the classroom walls.   

Where are you seeing technology?