No accident involved, but my family traveled by van over the holidays and used Google Map on my phone. Note that Google clearly emphasize not to use it, “while driving.” We complied for the most part, having the co-pilot run the technology. About 3-4 times, we did get off track trying to follow the more particular routes, but nothing major. Easy to see how we can get sucked into gadgets, though.

With a simple daily use of spell-check, I find that I am MUCH less likely to re-read and proof a letter, message, etc. and may get sime baad cotnent allong tje wauy to. Basically it makes me lazy. Likely many of us do the same.

Sorry to hear about the accident, but I’m so glad to hear that you and your family are ok.

Wishing you and the family a Happy 2009.

Best,

Kevin

Another interesting conversation – and glad to hear that you are ok.
Betsy (or is it June C) set me thinking and I have to add another example that would get her grandmother shaking her head. Last year I visited your country to stay with dear friends who have gorgeous twin babies. I was intrigued that a radio was playing in the babies bedroom 24/7 (carefully selected music and station to reflect their values and tastes) and when I asked about it I was given a very sensible explanation that I can’t remember. What I do remember is wondering what life would be like if you grew up never experiencing the bliss of total silence. I love noise, bustle and people, but I also value a walk without an iPod along the beach I live at to just listen or think or …experience white space between the ears!
I think those babies might never get to experience ‘coming up for air’ as you suggest.

My cousin received a GPS for Christmas, which prompted a conversation with my husband about this newfangled thang. We agreed that not having a GPS allows one to:
1. Find out new things on a real live map, which is distributed for free by each and every DMV in these beautiful 50 states and Commonwealths and 2. Discuss different options for directions with friends and relatives who have gone the way before, prompting new views, extra advice, and maybe some interesting family history and 3. Learn more about the immediate area in which you live and figure out where everything connects and 4. Maybe veer off course–maybe find a new town, a new place, do something not uber-planned based on exact mileage, extimated arrival time, and how many Starbucks there are along the way.

My 91 year old Grandmother says that our society is going to “hell in a handbasket” these days; at least we can program it in and just follow the GPS on the way down!

I’ve recently found that I needed to get off Craigslist. I was looking so much on it for deals that I didn’t bother to check out the furniture stores right down from my house. When I finally did, I found what I wanted at a reasonable price. I had checked Craigslist for weeks … I could have saved myself the trouble had I just drove to the store in the first place.

Glad you and your family are alright. That’s always scary.

And, we recently experienced how clueless the GPS is, as it took us past our hotel in East Lansing; and on the same trip told us to make a sharp right turn into the Sandy Creek here in Waynesburg. (In the latter case, the correct directions were go straight over the bridge and continue straight for 15 miles then turn left.)

Yes, I have a lot to say about getting heads up into the real world.

Recently, I asked at Fireside learning what people do to raise money for charities. The idea was to get people talking beyond demanding more of everything and thinking about how to pay for it. As you can see, not one person answered.

And, in fact, this brings up my major complaint about the public education system. It is designed (via ed schools, state regs, and collective bargaining) to minimize the contact the teaching staff has with the real world over a lifetime.

Recent pedagogical thinking makes this worse by insisting that content matter doesn’t. That “learning how to learn” is what’s important, not any actual facts of history, science, math, etc.

If teachers had sat in design meetings or policy discussions or marketing sessions,. they’d know that background knowledge means a great deal. Its those facts that allow us to “look up from the screen” and keep our wits about us. To stand above the current tide of thinking and tie the current problem in with the larger world.

Of course this applies even more to those who design curricula, both at the ed school and K12 levels.

Accidents are accidents; that’s why they have insurance (says my brother and agent). Its when we keep driving over reality that things get iffy.