Pfffffftttttt

For a time, I thought that Velcro was going to get the better of me.

Do you remember when laces on children's running shoes began to be replaced with Velcro? I sure do. Circle time in Kindergarten became a nightmare. Sure, parents were thrilled. Their little darlings could now be more independent beings. They could put on their own shoes and close them up without anyone helping them. Theoretically, I was all for it, because I'm all for children feeling the pride of accomplishment when they learn to master a skill. But who would have thought of the ramifications!

Picture twenty five little five year olds sitting cross legged on a carpet, most of them wearing shoes with Velcro. There I am doing my thing, when all of a sudden I hear pfffffttt. I look toward the sound and see a child with a shoe undone. A second or two later, the shoe is closed up again and all is well...until, pfffffttt, someone else starts in. Before you know it, a virtual Velcro symphony is playing in the background of my lesson. It's positively unnerving.

Even more unsettling though, is the thought that increasingly, children are not learning how to tie their shoes because, well, they don't have to! Velcro closes things that used to take a lot more small motor dexterity. Winter coats might have zippers, but there is often an over layer of material that can be closed with Velcro. Often, children forgo zipping up the jacket in favour of simply using the Velcro. Heck, even Barbie doll clothes are closed with Velcro, which makes the old clothes that I had with tiny snaps, zippers and hook and eye closings seem positively medieval.

Now, don't get me wrong. Velcro is surely a handy dandy thing. For children or adults who have any motor issues, Velcro closings are indeed brilliant, and serve a fabulous purpose. They afford people the independence and dignity they richly deserve. Velcro has many incredible uses. In the scheme of things, it's almost as invaluable as duct tape or Saran Wrap. To me though, the appearance of Velcro in my classroom was the harbinger of something even more significant; Velcro heralded the age of technology.

Yes, computers were invented a few years before Velcro, but Velcro came into the classroom first. Pfffffttt preceded, 'You've got mail'. Velcro showed up around the time that digital clocks--my other bone of contention, appeared. You see, as well as children not being able to tie their laces anymore, the lack of regular use of analogue clocks is making it difficult for children to learn how to tell time. Think about it, what does 9:13 mean to a person who isn't familiar with a clock with hands and a face? Should we be concerned that children are missing these skills?

As much as I've bemoaned the situation over the years, I'm beginning to think that I'm the one who is out of step with the times. Moving forward in anything means leaving some things on the back burner. Small motor skills are being acquired differently. People might not necessarily know exactly what  8:52 means, but they somehow manage to get where they're going on time.

I remember with fondness how my elementary school teachers used to ask us to feed the movies we would watch in school through the reel-to-reel. They had no idea what to do. The technology was beyond them. They let the next generation take over and lead them. This generation, however, is different. We're learning along with our children. We use technology every day to enhance our lives and those of our students. For better or for worse, we are taking our lessons from the past and embracing the future.

And to all those who disagree, I say, PFFFFFTTTTTT!