For most of us, some type of desktop computer probably comes to mind - maybe an Apple IIg or a Commodore 64. For others, a graphing calculator might be the most significant technology.
I'm guessing no one though of the light switch as technology, but 150 years ago, this would certainly have been a major technological advance.
The key point to keep in mind is that we don't consider things that existed by the time we were born to be technology; they're just expected.
The image below illustrates the various "light switch" technologies for current college students (the bottom line, just above the timeline), current high school students (one line up), current middle school students (second to the top), and current elementary school students (the top line).
High School students have never known a world that didn't contain an iPod. This technology completely changed the way we consume media. Current high school students expect to be able to carry their entire music collection (and videos, data, etc.) in the pocket of their jeans.
For our current group of middle school students, Facebook and social media are "light switch" technologies. Prior to 2004, people had private lives and personal lives; middle school kids don't know what it's like to have separate personal and private lives - everything is on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat.
Finally, elementary students were born in the touchscreen era. Have you ever seen a 2-year-old try to swipe the TV to change the channel? Kids who are currently in elementary school often don't know what to do when they encounter a keyboard and mouse.
So why does this matter? Knowing what "light switch" technologies our kids will come to us expecting to have available changes how we provide resources, and how we provide instruction. We have to modify our lens when considering technology purchases for our school; what we grew up with and sometimes think is a critical skill may be something that our students will rarely ever use. For example, cursive handwriting was replaced by keyboarding as a critical skill; soon, voice dictation may overtake typing.
At Canyon Lake, we prioritize learning with technology; we have approximately 250 iPads, and we're 1:1 with laptops in 2nd through 5th grade, with plans to add even more in the future. Students use OSMO devices with their iPads to work collaboratively, and use Makey Makeys to solve all kinds of fun and interesting problems.
We live in exponential times, and we want to make sure that our students are prepared for jobs that don't yet exist, and to solve problems that we don't yet even know are problems.
