Bridging the Gap

Rob my grad. professor wrote a course description explaining that, this course is designed to help bridge the gap between content area curriculum and literacy through the infusion of ideals presented in the "Common Core".  Although, that is exactly why I enrolled in this class, I feel that we need to bridge more gaps than just the content area. We need to bridge, the texting gap, the mashing gap, the multi-sensory multi-media gap, the instantaneous messaging gap which all leads me to the communication gap. Now, the communication gap between generations has been going on for centuries but, never as demanding and bold as now with technology permeating every aspect of life. For example, tonight at my doctor's office, I saw the bookkeeper holding a bill up to a vendor via facetime. What a visual! Yesterday a student of mine explained how he created inventory for a game he plays. He used screen captures to explain every step, Finally, I understand that MineCraft game. Although, he explained everything using the auditory system for his audience, it was necessary for him to write a script so he could communicate his thoughts accurately and precisely.

Oftentimes to explain this gap, I use an example from a conversation I had with my grandmother, "Nanny", around 1963.   Now in order to make this meaningful, I must tell you that my grandmother was born in Ireland on February 12, 1888.  In the United States that year, Benjamin Harrison became our 23rd president. Our nation was young and prosperous but Ireland was quite the contrary. So my grandmother came to the land of opportunity with her family and settled in Rhode Island. As a young adult she met a sailor, married, and relocated to Brooklyn, NY. It was in Brooklyn, that she learned the importance and value of writing, as she missed her family and friends in Rhode Island. So my story goes, when the phone became very popular my grandmother would practically curse it saying, "it was the demise of writing".
How funny it would be if she could see us today, instead using our phones for speaking, we are using them primarily to write, (aka~texting).   Our adolescents are using a new form of writing, almost what secretaries used for "shorthand"; they are writing again and the communication that comes with writing is different from the communication that comes with speaking.

Background History:
The turn of the century was a tough time for the Bell Companies. Rapid expansion led to poor service and the public was becoming more apathetic with the big monopoly. As service expanded across the country, the company also had a dilemma in that technology could not keep up with the incredible growth. 

The independent companies were at the heels of the Bell Companies and something had to change. And it did.

At the turn of the century, recognizing the many public and competitive concerns, the Bell System executives looked to Theodore N. Vail to lead them once more....and he turned them down flat. Vail didn't feel it was a good time to return, so the Bell company brought in Frederick Fish, who although put in a tremendous effort, was exhausted by 1907 and retired.

The company again turned to Vail. This time around Vail was over 60, his wife and son had passed away, and he felt a real need to get back to the job of heading the Bell System. Vail immediately set to work creating his "universal service" theme, hoping to bring a telephone to everyone in the United States. He also consolidated research and development efforts into one plant at Western Electric. This was in effect, the beginning of Bell Laboratories.

Ripe for expansion, the Bell System completed the first coast-to-coast telephone line in 1915 from New York to San Francisco. Vail also used the "wireless" system to begin overseas cable installations, connecting the U.S. to other countries. ~ www.telephonemuseum.com

So....Bell Laboratories made a big come-back much like Apple, and Nanny wasn't happy, much like "our" older generation in the 20th century. This was the demise of our traditions of proper writing, proper handwriting and communicating with the one's we love.

Should I say it, no one can stop us from communicating with the one's we love. We will find a way. No one will stop us from passing our history from generation to generation. We will find a way. No one will stop us from sharing our ideas. We will find a way. It's human nature. No worries they say; and I believe that they are right. Have Faith!