Educators often rack their brains trying to figure out how to integrate technology into learning. I had a nice surprise this morning, however. I walked in to the family room to find my son seated in front of the computer, guitar in hand, following a video lesson from YouTube. I watched quietly for a moment and then simply left the room while he continued, intently focused on the lesson and mimicking the instructor.

For me, it summed up the still as yet unrealized potential of technology in learning. We can plan for and talk about integration all we want. But technology in instruction will only truly happen when it becomes seamless, transparent, and the most useful way to learn something, as demonstrated by a simple YouTube video streamed to our family room.

No technology plans, no extensive budgets, no committees, just simple practicality.