Technology and Learning: Putting it all in Perspective

Na#onal  Junior  Honor  Society  Induc#on  Ceremony    

Keynote  Address  by  William  Brennan  November  27,  2012  

 

Technology and Learning: Putting it all in Perspective

1982 - 1989 1989 - 1991

1991-1995 1995 - 1999

FARMINGDALESCHOOLS.ORG  

“WE  DON’T  EVEN  KNOW  WHAT  WE  DON’T  KNOW.”  

WE  ARE  NOW  LIVING  IN  A  WORLD  WHERE….  

Why  does  this  maPer?  

Today’s  Kindergartener  •   Born  in  2009  •   Will  graduate  HS  in  2024  •   Will  graduate  college  in  2028    

•   Re5re  in  2068    

Today’s  HS  Senior  •   Born  in  1995  •   Will  graduate  HS  in  2013  •   Will  graduate  college  in  

2017  •   Re5re  in  2057  

What  does  this  mean?  

•  We  have  to  recognize  that  all  of  us  grew  up  in  a  par#cular  era,  one  that  civiliza#on  has  never  seen  before.        

•  We  built  ins#tu#onal  prac#ces  that  prepared  us  to  live  in  a  period  of  rela#ve  stability  -­‐  where  skills  lasted  a  life#me.  

•  Moving  from  the  Informa#on  Age  to  an  Age  of  Networked  Intelligence.    

Born  August,  2010    

Born  September,  2008  

Liam’s  First  Step    Age  5  months  

Technology  in  perspec#ve!  

“It’s  not  TECHNOLOGY  unless  you  were  born  before  it  existed.”  

 Milton  Chen,  2004    

The  ques5on  we  have  to  ask  ourselves  today  is:    

HOW  do  we  use  these  tools?  

The  world  is  now  your  classroom!  

Final  Thoughts  •  For  genera#ons  we  have  been  about    making  things  faster,  shorter,  

smaller  à  efficiency.      •  We’re  in  an  age  where  everyone  has  Facebook,  most  people  have  smart  

phones  and  TwiPer,  and  everything  moves  super  quickly.    •  With  that  being  said,  we’ve  started  to  depend  more  on  technology  and  

less  on  personal  interac5ons  with  others.      •  Although  we  have  this  amazing  influx  of  informa#on  at  our  finger#ps,  it’s  

more  important  to  appreciate  the  real-­‐life  friendships  that  you  will  make  throughout  your  #me  in  middle  school  and  into  high  school,  college  and  beyond.    

 •  Con#nue  to  be  kind,  compassionate  and  loving  to  one  another  at  home,  at  

school,  at  work,  and  in  every  interac#on  throughout  the  day.    

Just  stop  and  think  for  a  second  about  all  that  we  have  been  through  in  the  last  month.    There  are  powerful  

messages  here.  

What  did  you  do  when  there  was  no  TV?  

What  did  you  do  when  there  was  no  XBOX?  

What  did  you  do  when  there  was  no  CELL  PHONES?  

What  did  you  do  when  there  was  no  INTERNET?  

Did  you  meet  ne

w  neighbors?

 

Using  the  Internet  to  make  the  world  a  bePer  place!  

CONGRATULATIONS!  Go  on  and  change  the  

world!