This is not me but someone whom I knew at school who I now ‘talk’ to in Facebook. He left the UK not too long after this photo was taken.
We talk again now thanks to technology and even played a bit of Warcraft over Christmas too. He’s now a Night Elf.
Here we can see a typical 70s latch-key kid in the hallowed place of education, complete with a detailed equine book that he couldn’t read. When I saw it, I remembered having the same photo, as did everyone else.
This photo is full of pride, represents ‘the learner’ in the school system: tie; grey shirt;arms folded, and sitting to attention. This kid grew up and now lives in Detroit. He rides a kicking Harley, an advocate for Autism.
It made me wonder how the office-seekers and policy trolls in public office see my kids – top left or bottom right?
It seems stupid to keep using this modality to represent kids simply to keep the patriarchy comfortable. Clearly the learning environment is completely different today – immersive, social and virtual. Not at school of course – that looks the same.
Parents are increasingly – teachers – some better than others I grant you – but most (I know) are immersing their kids in digital media from the age of three to one extent or another.
These photos are 35 years apart – but obviously the brain-laggers in high office have set their profiles to [ignore]. Their strategy in K12 seems to me to be more of a patriarchal retirement plan than a digital revolution. New blood, new ideas please. We can’t wait until you retire, seriously.
Playable 