Technolandy

Day One (of 2026/27) — Welcome back…

Year 30 for me.

Year 14 of this Days of Learning blog.

2,425 posts so far.

Cal Ripken Jr. played 2,632 consecutive games.

So apparently that’s the target now.

Just over 200 to go…

Lots has changed.

Three of my kids have entered — and exited — the K–12 system.

All three took different learning pathways.

Different exit strategies.

Different post-graduation explorations.

And all three continue to make me think about what we mean when we talk about preparing students for what comes next.

A systems design engineer is emerging as a leader in graphic-novel librarianship.

A neurodiverse student’s Adult Dogwood pathway has sparked more than a few thoughts about what graduation should actually mean.

And a talented artist is navigating an industry where photography — and increasingly creativity itself — continues to be transformed by technology.

Three kids.

Three very different pathways.

Which seems appropriate, since I continue to believe that one size fits all fits none.

Lots has stayed the same.

But wow, am I glad to be educating in BC.

As we start another year, a few things are on my mind…

Teacher autonomy still allows for rich reading.

We’ve added This Place: 150 Years Retold — an amazing graphic novel — to our English First Peoples reading options.

Our Comic Con continues to reinforce something I shouldn’t really have to keep saying: Graphic novels are reading.

We have more students working through History of Mathematics 11, exploring mathematics through people, language, culture, history and tools while also earning that needed graduation math credit.

We aren’t being handed a list of religious texts students must read (cough cough Texas)

We don’t have a prescribed banned-books list — something we’re seeing more and more of elsewhere in North America.

And yes, ask to see the annotated copy of Gender Queer when you’re at our building…

Food is increasingly part of the learning conversation.

We’re nowhere close to where I wish we were.

I’m still jealous of PEI.

But at least we’re increasingly talking about student food programs as something more substantial than granola bars and juice boxes.

Our limited program is pretty good.

But limited is also the problem.

If accessing food identifies you as someone who needs food, we’ve created stigma before anyone takes the first bite.

I’d love to see us keep moving toward universal food programs — and keep watching what other provinces are trying so we can learn from them.

And then there are screens.

I’m not thrilled that we’ve joined the ban screens/social media bandwagon.

I’d much rather teach effective — and affective — use.

Maybe that’s the librarian inside me.

Access matters.

Context matters.

Critical literacy matters.

And yes, sometimes banning matters too. Mein Kampf and The Anarchist Cookbook aren’t sitting on my school shelves.

But banning should require considerably more thought than:

This thing can cause problems, therefore students shouldn’t have access to it.

Because if only we had some sort of place where young people could gather with knowledgeable adults and learn how to navigate complicated, powerful and occasionally dangerous media…

Hmm.

And I’m excited to see…

How AI amplifies learning.

I’m under no illusion that this is automatically going somewhere wonderful.

The distance between technological utopia and dystopia can be razor thin. Sometimes the only difference is perspective.

But I don’t think pretending AI isn’t here prepares anyone for either possibility.

So I’m curious:

How does AI change reading?

How does AI change writing?

How does AI change mathing?

All of them sensible, everyday subjects…

But I tell you, and AI and learner need to consider what’s peculiar:

How does AI change creativity?

And perhaps most importantly:

What becomes more human when machines can do more?

I’m excited to see how we continue meeting learners where they are — rather than where a system designed for another century thinks they should be.

How we continue creating different pathways without treating those pathways as lesser ones.

How we help young people navigate increasingly complicated information environments.

How we protect teacher autonomy while continuing to learn from each other.

How we build schools around relationships, flexibility and individualization.

And how we help today’s learners become tomorrow’s good ancestors.

Year 30.

Day One.

Still reading.

Still wondering.

Still learning.

Welcome back.