Sometimes the Best Tech Is Low-Tech

Education Rethink 2013-07-13

I like Minecraft. I think it's a creative game and I've used it with students. However, I am also struck by the fact that some of the best "augmented reality" isn't behind a screen. It's what happens when you draw a picture or get lost in a novel or turn the backyard planter into a pirate ship. It's what happens when you turn every last cushion and blanket to turn the living room into Fort Spencer. This last week, we had a pirate expedition in our house. We didn't geocache. We didn't do it digitally. We made maps, turned them old with coffee, and hid treasure. The treasure was all low-tech. The kids got sidewalk chalk, baseballs and a few swim toys. This isn't a knock on technology. In this same week, we watched movies. The boys started blogging. We played a few games of Angry Birds. However, the most memorable parts of the week were almost entirely low-tech.