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Teaching technology

The Scottish Government has announced plans to teach children about blogging and podcasting, as part of the Curriculum for Excellence. I'm particularly impressed they'll be teaching when text speak is appropriate, and when it isn't - it's hard to project yourself as educated or professional when it appears someone's been stealing half your vowels. But you'll only know that if someone teaches you!

The whole plan sounds pretty good to me - I seem to be one of the 'assumed' generation. It was assumed when I arrived at that Uni I'd know how to touch / speed type (I don't, I fumble with a few fingers, while staring fixedly at the keyboard. I'm awaiting the development of RSI.), and word process (I didn't do secretarial studies at school, so that passed me by)...then it was assumed I'd know how to use email...and the internet...assess the relevancy and accuracy of the sites I found on the internet....then finding and using blogs, RSS feeds, wikis...

Everything I know, I've taught myself, by hearing about it somehow, then digging for more information, trying things out, and making lots of mistakes along the way. It's been assumed all along that I would just know things, when the reality is, I've had to fight to get that knowledge. And now, I have to teach others, based on my (admittedly) imperfect skills.

Just think of the time these kids can save by having someone real, in front of them, to ask all sorts of questions that they'd otherwise have to accept not knowing the answer to, or would have to waste precious time looking for the answers. And then assessing the trustworthiness of where they got that answer.
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