When the lights go down in the city...a thought or two

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvE0G4a994E (Journey...yah, just listen and enjoy...)

I submitted my final project for class today. One might think that it would be cause for celebration, or relief, or what have you, but instead, I find myself really thinking about where and when tech fits into my general schema. I have grown so accustomed to more than half expecting all things tech to fail at any given moment, I'm still not sure I want to trust or rely on embedded tech elements. Yet, when these things work, they add a lot to what we are already doing. The world we live in requires a more than passing acquaintance with all things digital, and I am no neophyte myself. However, I still maintain that elementary skills are paramount; no amount of technology will help one bit if the student/user brings an empty rucksack to the camp out. I see tech as being of a supporting role; if my lesson requires tech to work properly, though, I might be in trouble. The core of any lesson must be simple and solid, and if it's not, no amount of fancy stuff will help it out one bit. I worry a little about the younger teachers, or pre-service teachers, who depend so much on technology. I am not convinced they are creative enough in their teaching, or solid enough in their own basic skills, that they can continue on when the lights go out...whether that is literal or figurative, it makes no difference. Both happen, and we need to be prepared. If Socrates could teach without props, leading the young men of Athens in logic and rhetoric under a tree in the middle of town, we should be able to do at least the same.