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Loving the free stuff coming from the ConnectED initiative. Are you taking advantage of it? From...

Loving the free stuff coming from the ConnectED initiative. Are you taking advantage of it? From...

Loving the free stuff coming from the ConnectED initiative. Are you taking advantage of it? From...

This photo is going around the internet and is being used by a bunch of grumpy old folks that don’t understand technology as an example of our uber hyper connected kids today and how they simply are too involved with their screens to notice the beauty that is right behind them. (In this case, I believe the painting is Rembrandt’s "The Night Watch" which hangs in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is one of the most famous paintings in the world. We can assume that the picture was taken there, since that is where that particular painting resides.) As you can see, a group of kids are sitting in front of the painting, obviously at a museum, and they are, it seems, oblivious to the art work hanging mere feet away from them. The obvious conclusion is that technology is bad, and that kids today are slaves to their electronic devices. Technology bad. I call out BS. Here is why: First of all, there is absolutely no way to know what is going on in that picture. But here is one possibility that the haters completely missed in their haste to hate technology: Students in this picture are using their devices to find out MORE about the art. Many museums have programs where visitors can extend their knowledge about a topic by scanning a nearby QR code, usually hanging on the wall near the painting description. Here is an example of a museum that uses the QR Codes to expand knowledge of its visitors: There are thousands of other examples. This is just one. Here is another: The Rijksmuseum, as a world class museum, is no exception. In fact ,it has an APP for both iOS and Android. Here are the links: IOS and Android Look a little more closely at the kids: Do you see that a few of them have papers on their laps? What is that all about? Could it possibly be that they have a paper that they have to work on while they are on this field trip? Could it be that they are using their devices in a BYOD setting to actually learn something? Could it be that the teachers have actually done a good job preparing for this field trip? I think that is what is happening in this picture. A class of students, visiting a museum are using an app to extend their learning BEYOND what they would learn by just walking through listening to a docent drone on about the pictures. Technology is actually IMPROVING learning here, not limiting it. So Grandpa, before you get off of your rocking chair on your porch and start yelling at kids today, maybe learn a little bit about the topic that you think you know so much about. Because if you are thinking that kids only use their devices to text each other and send inappropriate pictures to snapchat, think again. And while you are at it, maybe use YOUR electronic device to learn something.

Ten ways to teach kids coding #dayofcode

Ten places with free high quality education resources.