I want teachers to be able to, not only ask for and use an app, because someone else recommended it, but I want teachers equipped with the curiosity and the knowledge of: the value an app can bring to a learner (and being able to articulate the value)the connection from the app to curriculum content (and being able to demonstrate the depth of that connection)the possibilities the app can bring in order to amplify (take a look at a previous post: The Next Step: Amplification )the difference of using an app to automate and substitute a task versus informate and transform (previous post: Enhancement-Automating-Transforming-Informating )how to evaluate apps for their transformative potential?

Fluency on the iPad, like language fluency, does not necessarily come natural to most people. Unless you grow up in a language, as  your mother tongue,  and you acquire speaking this language unconsciously as a baby and child, it will require an effort (to various degrees) on your part to learn to become fluent in that language. Becoming fluent on the iPad requires a conscious effort and time as well.

I began to think about all the trade offs we make with technology. I’m not the first to have these thoughts but wanted to explore this from my own perspectives. I also don’t want to use the typical negative slant that this type of discussion can evoke. People often think nostalgically about trade offs and long for the good old days. That’s a bit too simple for me and is often bias towards personal experience as opposed to a more global perspective.

Some of us have seen the TV spots for the Els Center of Excellence, but I think that publication and support in education magazines, online sites, and other education media is long overdue.