by Peter Reynolds It's election time. Politicians are saying what we want to hear - to win our hearts and our votes. Education has risen to the top of the rhetoric heap like never before. You've heard them all say how "students of today are citizens of tomorrow" and "it is vital to give all learners the skills they need to succeed." Of course, we all agree. Then they launch into how terrible things are, painting very simplified pictures of Johnny graduating unable to read. I am always startled by these claims of illiterate mobs of kids pouring into the streets. It just doesn't compute though. Can't you hear the keyboards being tapped and polished by hordes of hot little fingers? Kids across the country and the world are writing volumes everyday. Intricate scripts reflecting their ideas, culture, hopes, dreams, as well as the variety of gossip, jokes, and silliness that rounds out life as preteen, tween-ager, and teenager. Younger brothers and sisters stare and listen in awe as their siblings batter the keyboard issuing a stream of tapping, clicking, and chiming of bells. Online chatting has them all in its tight grip. I have heard knee-jerk reactions against young people spending time Instant Messaging and in chat rooms. I think we need to take a closer, more thoughtful look at how powerful this form of communication is in helping encourage writing and reading. I am hoping that this moment in time may last long enough for us to see the benefits of this phenomenon. I fear that we will see an end to this tidal wave of writing with telephony, voice transmitted instantly over a network. (Sound familiar? We used to call this exchange of ideas a terrific thing.) A face to face chat about Zen philosophy by the campfire is powerful. The magic of writing it down though is that the ideas are preserved. They can be shared. Learning to write is a challenge without motivation. The computer has a magnetic pull on youngsters. Have you noticed a toddler near a keyboard? They're like a cat playing with a paper bag. They're not quite sure what's in it, but they sure will have fun trying to figure it out! Ask any elementary teacher and they'll agree that ANYTHING that gets a learner to write is a wonderful thing. Keeping them writing is key. Getting them to write as often as possible is the key to developing lifelong writing, reading and communication skills. Even while I am applauding, I hear some complaints about the unique grammar and spelling codes being shaped daily by the Chat in the Hat generation. I am actually impressed with this natural process of adapting technique and style to new situations. This is called innovation and THAT is a lifelong skill. The future generation is developing a language of Future Speak, which is completely congruent with new millennium's vocations, technologies, and unique demands on being human. The exciting opportunity for educators is to tap into their natural current of energy powering online chat. How closely have you looked at young people chatting? Have you tried chatting with your students? Even with a closed Internet system, you can set up a chat with a student and give it a whirl. Try asking a question you might normally ask out loud. If your students have laptops, have them send you the answer to your question through a live chat in your room. The beauty of this is that you will have a written record of the idea. Many times, students will change their thoughts to match those around them. Chat allows them to commit their original thought to you. Try role-playing. Set up an instant messaging account with character names. Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Baby Bear and Goldilocks. Invite the online chatters to play their part. You'll be amazed at the lengthy improv script that develops which can be printed out and shared afterwards. Unlike most online chat which vanishes into cyberspace, you can help capture, share, and inspire using these written works. The role of a great teacher, as you know, is to help capitalize on the "Aha!" moments - making the most of these cognitive flares that light up the learning space. This beautiful light can last a lifetime making it easier to read a book, writes an artful poem or share deep thoughts with a friend. Keep the lights burning brightly. Until next time. : ) Peter Reynolds Founder/President FableVision © 2001 Peter H. Reynolds/FableVision Permission granted to copy for classroom use