We Don't Need SMART Xylophones #iste13

I'm standing at the Newbie/Social Butterfly Lounge at the ISTE Conference when I notice a flat, touchscreen type of device. A perfectly placed digital xylophone begs to be played. The pieces are aligned exactly as they should be. The instrument is at perfect pitch. It's nice. It's glossy. It's techie. And it's deceptively not hands-on. Give a child a xylophone and watch what happens. They tap it on different areas. They hold it up and listen to the differences in the sound. It isn't a pretty process, but it's how they learn percussion. In this sense, a cheap child's toy version is better than anything SMART creates. I'm having a pint with Paul Kelba, a Canadian teacher who does some cool stuff with outdoor science. I've interacted with him online, filling in the voice and accents and mannerisms as best as I could. We connected on a platform, via Twitter, with all its limitations. Last night, we hung out in more than 140 characters. For some time now, our devices were connected. Yesterday, we were connected, sharing stories and ideas in ways that aren't possible on Twitter. Don't get me wrong. Twitter made this possible. I am an unabashed fan of social media. However, he knows that the xylophone isn't supposed to be played on a SMART device. So yesterday, in his session, he brought out sod. No, really, he busted out real grass on a table in the middle of the conference center and watched people observe it. In the sea of techno gadgetry and constant connectedness, he reminded people that the real connection is to the land; that before we go out and collect data, we have to get to know our own neighborhoods. Sometimes I come across as a curmudgeon. People think that I hate technology or that I don't like connected learning. But it's not like that at all. I enjoy Twitter. I meet amazing people on a regular basis. But ISTE always has this strange reverse effect on me. I am reminded each time of how great it is to be with people face-to-face.