ICT

There is something about the term ‘ICT’ that surgically removes any sense of excitement about the possibilities of techology to transform our lives. In a recent discussion with a younger colleague about the learning potential of websites such as Facebook I realised that for her the use of such social networking tools are simply the way life is lived today.

Information, Communication, Technology: a very inelegant way of saying ‘the way life is lived today’. ICT is no longer a potential, or an opportunity, it is a fact. The challenge is to come to terms with this fact in our design of school buildings.

My generation make jokes about asking teenagers to come to our rescue when technology refuses to speak our language. However, when we design for technology we continue to give greater weight to our own painfully acquired understanding. For me, acknowledging the generation gap is about accepting what I don’t know, and asking those who do – whatever their age.