Recently we had a presentation from a map company since it was our turn in the school system to purchase maps. He offered the traditional, never replaceable pull down maps as well as many other hands-on materials that we have other editions of. Then he presents a new on-line product linked with multiple overlay maps and satellite images.
As someone who writes on the idea of using technology in school, at first I thought it was great. There is a learning curve and there are some limitations on the amount of people that can use it at one time and who can use it, but I am sure that properly done it could be an asset. Here is the problem though: it is almost too cool. Almost too advanced for maps. Maps are flat, colorful, sometimes bumpy and always fairly large. The leap from this to a fully interactive multi-layered item with dozens of features from zooming to labeling is quite dramatic.
Obviously I am not disregarding the whole material at all. I should show that my mantra is to go nearly totally paperless with wireless access points nearly everywhere and classrooms that are flexible because of this. If you take a country boy and put them in the city and tell them there are more opportunities there, what might the reaction be? Some might adjust well, some might freak out and go back to the country and others might just go wild with opportunity. I fear the third one here.
Remember the internet 1.0? from books and libraries to everything immediately all at once. Laws were created, addictions started and online bullying became a phrase in the public schools. Obviously there have been huge benefits from the internet from the point of a tool, but it can be used negatively as well.
Again, I can’t disparage the map system, but it does raise the question: Can technology that is bright and flashy be just a little too bright and flashy in the classroom?
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