he message from the SETT show (page eight) was loud and clear. All those middle-aged teachers in Scotland’s schools need to adjust their seat belts and prepare for a bumpy ride, outside their comfort zone. As American futurist David Thornburg flashed up images of the skateboarding generation which occupies our classrooms, and English headteacher Marian Brooks projected pictures of her teenage daughter writing homework in front of a computer while chatting on her mobile to friends, what both highlighted was the amazing multi-tasking capabilities of youngsters who have never known life without high tech.
These are kids who, given the technology, can produce a brilliantly edited video of an aircraft landing which had the SETT audience roaring with laughter - and this by two boys who had been excluded. They can bring music, art, history, facts and figures together, throw in a bit of wit and show you what creativity is. Sit them in front of a load of chalk and talk, and you’ll probably switch them off. It may make you feel old just to think about it - but let them do the driving and, before you know it, you’ll be enjoying the ride.
