lemonlimekids

my husband kelly - the techie genius of the family - and i have been talking a lot lately about technology and how it plays a central role in the development of children and students. our dinner conversations have consisted mostly of this topic lately (and of course, over dinner we talk about how wonderful my cooking tastes!) - as we are both increasingly interested in how technology and media is consistently shaping faith. i have a lot of thoughts that i hope to share in the upcoming weeks - but for now, i'll start with just one thought that has been on my mind lately.

the concept of reverse mentoring

the term is too new for wikipedia to yet define, but basically means that instead of a typical mentoring relationship that consists of the older generation passing on knowledge to the younger generation - the mentoring happens from the younger to older generation. because millennials have grown up in a media savy, tech centered culture - they are now the experts when it comes to social networks, digital learning, texting, and online communications. i've read a lot of articles that highlight how businesses are utilizing the reverse mentoring concept in order to advance their company's digital presence. but i think the future of reverse mentoring is far more than just kids teaching adults how to use their computers better.

because i believe technology is changing our culture far more than we ever expected. new rules, new roles and new patterns are developing each day. our ways of interacting with each other are being radically re-defined, as is the way we learn - how can it not change when we can basically learn anything we want by the click of a button. as my husband is famous for saying, "'i don't know' is an irrelevant phrase - the internet prevents us from not knowing information, all we have to do is look for it."

i'm excited for the ways in which our churches will grow into places that encourage and empower children to lead, model and teach adults in faith and love.

follow up resources: i recently found a book geared towards the church on this topic - looks interesting, my friend matt guevara taught a workshop called rewiring ministry for the digital learner, and a great article on how businesses are using reverse mentoring.