Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Where are my tags?

I hit a wall yesterday while cleaning my desk and file cabinets. As I went to put some copies in a folder I realized the content was generic enough that I could use it for multiple projects. I jotted down the various topics but then had to decide which drawer to put the file in. I typically file by grade period, but the various projects occur in different periods. I suppose I could make folders for every quarter and file the copies in multiple places; only a year ago I would have done just that and been fine.

This time I didn't.

I sat there, wondering how long it will take to be able to tag everything, have it all in one container, and make it appear when needed by keyword. My file cabinet should work like that. So should my operating system. Neither does, and I was truly flummoxed.

Is this what my students feel every day when the school system strips away the tools they have become accustomed to using?