We are having fun at Bonlee Elementary School in Chatham County, North Carolina this week!  


Over the past few months, the fifth grade students have interviewed Mayor John Grimes of Siler City and Mayor Cindy Perry of Pittsboro for their thoughts on how technology has changed the county.  


The students transcribed those interviews to create a script over the past week. We also incorporated technology into the artistic process, using it to record interviews, type the script, create projections, amplify the actors, and coordinate the choreography. We discovered that technology is everywhere. We discovered that not all technology is digital.  We discovered that sometimes it is difficult to know whether technology rules over us or we rule over technology.


Throughout this process, students have learned that working on assembly lines, typing letters, processing water from a chicken plant and launching a rocket to the moon are just a few of the ways we use technology to improve our lives. Perhaps we would be wise to put down our smartphones and look for other technologies that surround us, specifically in healthcare, farming and sustainable energy.  


Our performance is Friday, May 10. We are looking forward to a full house–and to inspiring people to think about the ways in which technology enhances our lives when we choose to use it wisely.




Sponsored by Chatham Arts Council.