I have to say that I was not surprised to read that young people, ages 8-18, spend, on average, 6 hours a day on electronic devices. I have worked at a day care for almost nine years and I can testify to the fact that a lot of children are addicted to these types of media. During the summer, we have what is called "by yourself time", which is basically a better way of saying rest/nap time. Everyday, the older children (3rd-6th grade) get out there music or gameboys or nintendo DS to keep them occupied for that hour. They even have an entire 20 minutes, called "Tech Lab", that is blocked out each day for every class to play video games or play on computers. The kids absolutely love getting to do these things, but it can definetly contribute to some children's dependence on technology.
However, I don't think that technology is a bad thing, I use it everyday. Towards the end of the article, it was mentioned that students learn best about the world they live in by helping create it. I completely agree with this statement but I think you have to have a balance. There are many productive ways that you can use technology at school but still teach students to not depend on it for everything.
I thought it was very interesting that the original purpose of computers was not for business, but for learning. It is interesting to know that now, and also know how the education world is behind in many aspects when it comes to technology and incorporating it into the classrooms. From what I have read recently, though, it seems as though we are improving in that area. I liked what the teacher at the end of the article said about the use of technology "speaking their language". That is very true and, I believe, will only continue to be "their language". Technology is a wonderful tool and I definetly think that we should be introducing it to our students, but if we can find a good balance between using technology and doing things the "old-fashioned way" (which will provide students with even more options on how to do things) then we should have successful classrooms and successful students.
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I completely agree. I think technology has an important role in the classroom, but I also think it's important to have time away from technology as well. Kids should still spend time playing outside rather than playing video games, and reading books rather than just reading stuff online. So I agree that we should find a balance, and still encourage time away from technology as well!
ReplyDeleteEverywhere in our world we are surrounded by technology; it's no wonder that kids use it so often. I agree technology has a role in the classroom; it's not going to go away. It's important to create a balance though and just enjoy things without it once in awhile.
ReplyDeleteHave any of you heard the hypothesis that technology is behind the increasing rates of ADD and ADHD in our kids? I've heard many people say that the stimultion, constant action, instant gratification, and multiple options to divert short attention spans might contribute to different ways of thinking that make traditional school expectations particularly difficult. What do you guys think? I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I do feel like kids seem less able to use their imaginations to entertain themselves than they used to. However, I'm not willing to say this is technology particularly, but it might play a role.
ReplyDeleteWell that is interesting Kim. Do you think maybe the more passive action of playing with the available technology could be a contributing factor?
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