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Well, you know, sometimes I think technology just adds a lot of bells and whistles, makes stuff look good without really adding to the learning.

But here’s the thing: that teacher didn’t yet see the value of having his students make those connections outside the classroom even though no one was asking or expecting him to do it. In fact, it took about another seven or eight minutes of back and forth before I think he finally came around to the idea that the connections might matter even though no one was testing for them or writing curriculum for them or demanding that kids understand them. That we may want to consider adding the “bells and whistles” because the world our kids need to be prepared for is opening up in ways that go beyond the long-standing goals and objectives we’ve set up for them. That it’s not just about map making any more.

What once seemed too complex to control is measured and manipulated.

But does the exhibition really help us understand these advances? Consider those outside displays. Some are being measured in real time (like nearby traffic or air quality); others are simulations based on historical data (like credit and debit card transactions).

But we get no practical sense of how traffic information might be useful.

“I’ve seen a difference in what I do, especially on projects,”

old textbooks are stacked unused in the back of the room.

“I’m actually teaching less, and I’m learning more,” she said.