Lately I have been feeling like a torn man, a traveling contradiction, a vessel sailing in two worlds at once. In my new position (ed. tech. consultant), I am almost always on a computer or using, viewing, discussing some kind of technological gadget, and at the same time my soul, heart, spirit yearn to be casting flies to hungry steelhead in a quick stream or wandering the autumn woods with a tent and a sense of adventure. I have embraced both sides trying to adjust to the dramatic shifts that are occurring. I admire the potential and possibilities that exist within the incredible tools that are rapidly developing, and I pursued ed. tech. as a professional path because I want to play an active role in its progress.
Enter the other half of my being: the nature-bound romantic. Throughout much of my life I have favored trails and wilderness over cell phones and cities. I have devoted much to relationships, to hand-written letters, and to warm expressions of friendship. My daydreams consist of mountain back-packing and long canoe rides. I relish in and cherish people and the wild, and I pursue intimate experiences with them. As we see more kids with smart phones at age 10, there's a very real and present danger of nature and relationships being reduced to something trivial or cheap- something experienced on a screen.
As a new father and as a technologist in education, I feel compelled to raise up both worlds; to enhance the digital with compassion and interaction; to encourage times of electronic-less exploration; to find ways to preserve the finest qualities of all sides while thwarting the cold, heartless elements. This will be no easy task. It's time for a walk in the woods.
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