High-tech at High Speed

I came across these cartoons while searching the Web. I think they speak to what's happening around us and in our world as educators. We can no longer ignore that though it may be taking long to reach our individual classrooms, it is coming and our children are way ahead of us.

My last son is 2 years old, six years younger than Lemuel his second brother and 13 years younger than his eldest brother. My husband gives him his iPhone "to keep him quiet" in the car. Imagine my horror when I first say this occurance; after all this is a two-year-old who is bored quickly with one toy, dashes it to the ground and goes for another.

My husband observing my concern (to put it mildly) explains that Daniel will just get his Sesame Street videos, some back issues that my husband downloaded. I watched as the baby deftly used his little fingers to slide across the screen, touch the relevant icons to access "ABCD...Cookie Monster..." and sat laughing as the seen played out. When he had enough of that video, he didn't dash it to the ground, he went on to the next video.

Technology or Bayrum

Dust off the cobwebs people and embrace the technology. I mean do we really have a choice? I am beginning to feel that we don't. But, if we insist on staying in the now prehistoric age of "chalk (or whiteboard marker as the case may be) and talk, then bring out the Bayrum because rheumatism will set in and, in the wonderful words of my creole tongue, pain fuh so when you have to deal with dem chirren.

Check out this in your face scenario that I was personal witness to a few years ago.

We were off to attend a function with my sister-in-law. Dashing into the car Pearl realised that she had forgotten her digital camera. Pearl is a take-out-pictures-everywhere-you-go person, so she was in a bit of a state. Rather than turning the car around however, she opted to buy a disposal camera from the pharmacy; yes, the one you have to carry in to get the pictures "developed".

As she returned to the car my second son asked to see the camera. "Sure," replied Pearl and gave it to him. Excited, Lemuel opened the box and inspected the camera. After a few minutes he asked: "Auntie Pearl, where's the screen?" His aunt laughed heartily and replied: "No, honey, it's not a camera like that." Lemuel will be nine on September 2nd.

Anyone out there without screens? Then bring out the Bayrum!

Wonderful Creole

Reading the article that I refered to in my last blog caused me to think of my beautiful Creole language.

Ay ay. But meh boy getting well grown up.
Ay ay, but like ah forget meh pen.
Ay ay, like you going somewhere. Who yuh ask?

See how many times we can use "ay ay" (as in day) and it means so many different things? And the difference lies simply in the intonation of the voice. The first one of course you stretch out the ay. The second is short and sharp and the third goes high then low, this is the one used by parents a lot. That's Trinidad creole the best language in the world, at least that's my view.

Ever listen to television reports as they interview the protesters, or eyewitnesses? Rich, thick description that makes you feel as if you were there. And how about when one creole word replaces two standard English words? For example, Yuh going tuh town? means Are you going into town? Yuh = Are you. How then can we get the children to form the bridge between their core language and the language of exams – Standard English?

A teacher once told me that foreign language teachers no longer use students' errors to teach. You know how we take the errors and then show them what they wrote against what they should have written? She says it's more productive to simply translate on the board in the Standard English what they say in Creole eventually they will begin to make the connection. I guess in this way, we use their own language to teach them and not make them feel as if it is offensive. Any other ideas?