The NY Times recently wrote a series of articles entitled "Your Brain on Computers". Read a couple of the articles and post an opinion. Hopefully you are not feeling too inundated with the technologies I am introducing but I do think it is very easy to get overwhelmed by technology these days.
How do we manage our technology use and teach our students to manage theirs?
Do we need to bring activities back into our curriculum that have been lost in this hyper-connected society?
I read both "The Risk of Parenting While Plugged In," and "Outdoors and Out of Reach, Studying the Brain." I think there were similar ideas in both about activities that are lost in our hyper-connected society. I think there is a lack of face to face communication without the distraction of phones, email, and computers. While the technology provides great resources and tools, it does not replace human to human contact. Many of my students arrive in kindergarten and have trouble playing with regular toys. They constantly want to be on the computer and have difficulty when I place a 5 to 10 min limit on their computer playing time. They lack fine motor skills that would be acquired if they were playing outside, playing with clay, building with blocks, and coloring with crayons and pencils. They also lack a big part of communication. Many of their parents do not spend enough time talking to them and reading with them. The kids spend a lot of time in front of a computer or television and do not have to "respond" verbally. This makes for a huge disconnect. Students have difficulty retelling, explaining, and discussing their ideas because they have never had to. I think technology is great but definitely needs to be used in limited quantities and for the correct uses.
ReplyDeleteI read about 4 of the articles. They all seemed to be saying the same thing: technology is great....in moderation. I will admit that I like technology and I use it a lot, but I don't use it nearly as much as many people I know. It seems that many of my students have come to expect access to technology all of the time. As a result, they are weak in many fundamental skills. They can't spell (spellcheck), they can't use the dictionary (dictionary.com), they can't write a cohesive sentence (ongoing texting), they can't add, subtract, multiply or divide (calculators) and the list goes on. I try very hard to use technology to enhance lessons once basic skills have been mastered. I think technology is great for research and to create richer, deeper and more entertaining presentations. I just think it needs to be part of the lesson...not the whole lesson.
ReplyDeleteTechnology - can't live with it, can't live without it. That's my view. These articles were interesting. I agree with the author Matt Richtel when he says that too much technology doesn't allow for downtime for our minds and bodies. I believe there is a time and place for using technology. When we use it, it is sometimes frustrating because we rely so heavily on it. During the times when we have computer glitches or your phone is google searching too slowly, we are doing anything but relaxing.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the above statement - kids are becoming weaker at those fundamental skills we all had to worry about as kids. For instance, using the dictionary or writing a complete sentence without abbreviating any words or phrases. Texting and email have really hindered the ability for our children to write with the necessary mechanics.
Reading these articles reminded me of a night this summer when I was out for dinner at PF Changs. I was sitting next to a table of a family of seven (2 parents and 5 kids - probably ranging from 5 - 16). I kid you not when I say that every single member of that family was fidgeting with some sort of hand held technology. Whether it was the ipad, ipod, blackberry, i phone, it was quite sad. Not only has technology put a slight damper on fundamental lessons in schools, but it has also creeped into our social lives by impacting the way we communicate - if we aren't to busy playing around to communicate at all!
I think there needs to be a balance. it does seem harder and harder to get unplugged though. My wife complains from time to time about me not spending time with the kids. She says I come home and go straight to the pc. She is usually right though and I wind up feeling guilty not hanging out with my daughters before dinner. Will go out and play and the desire to go on the pc goes away.
ReplyDeleteThe harder part is the smartphone. I am one of those people that doesn't like the down time. I like playing those 2 min games to excite those short boring moments in the day from waiting for my wife to go to the drug stores to using it in the bathroom. I sometimes spend more time in the bathroom finishing up a game than finishing up my business. We just need to balance it out. I don't use it when we are at the dinner table but there are time I'll use it when we are in a social setting. I've tried to make a more conscious habit of putting away the phone in those situations. Again, I think we just need to find a balance.
Maryellen said:
ReplyDeleteOk, typed a long response and lost it, so let's try again. I agree with cmhickey's statement that incorporating technology into lessons is great as long as it doesn't become the whole lesson. I'd like to see more research projects done with books from the library rather than just the internet. That's one way of bringing back some old school methods. I think the biggest key to using technology and not letting it take over our lives is moderation. While my kids may balk that I set limits on their computer time and xbox time, they know I do it because I care (or one day they'll get that!). Technology both helps us and hinders us in the social/educational worlds. It kills me when your in the middle of a conversation and someone takes out their phone to check their fb page or email. Like they are telling you 'you aren't important enough for my full attention'. I'm guilty too, but socially, it's just rude. However, if a shy kid becomes more outgoing through texting and gains confidence then technology has helped them socially. I've seen the same dinner scene as Ashley many times and it makes me really sad for what has happened to human contact and communication. It's up to us to control and manage our own addictions/obsessions. I'll be curious to see the long term outcomes of some of these studies, as technology is here to stay.
Computers are blessing and a curse… They provide us with the world at our fingertips, but we as a society have become so dependent on technology. As a result, we have lost connection with simple, everyday tasks. Using the online dictionary and looking everything up on Google, convenient yes, but at a price. In school, students do not know how to use the dictionary, the encyclopedia and become easily frustrated when asked to do such a task. Is technology doing a service or disservice to our world?
ReplyDeleteKids have a challenging time interacting with their peers and adults, since they are not used to 'actual social interaction'. What is going to happen when they step foot into the work force? How will they be able to handle themselves? It will be interesting to see how individuals are affected in the long term.
In response to Patrick:
ReplyDeleteI am the complete opposite. I need every moment of solitude and quiet to get my brain to organize my thoughts, plan my day, and reflect on my day. The article talked about giving your brain time to store information into long-term memory and its interesting to think about. I do tend to flip through the channels on TV, but I think that might be a stretch with technology. I think I do that simply to enjoy something and finally have a part of my day that is completely fulfilling and that I have total control of. Makes me wonder though...
Katie
I apologize for the anonymous posts but it won't accept my post any other way. - Katie
ReplyDeleteEverything has a negative and a positive side to it. These articles obviously highlight the negative effects of technology. While we all know the countless benefits of different technological advances, it is important to examine the negative effects they have on our society. The Risk of Parenting article struck a chord with me personally. I am closely associated with a family who has become a victim of technology as it interrupts the daily flow of life, including raising their children. It is sad to see and very hard for the parents to understand why their child with special needs is engaging in behaviors such as throwing computer keyboards and cell phones. They are not giving their child the attention she needs at home. Dinner with blackberries, time spent talking to others on the phone, and “work” time on the internet is not something that this child needs to receive the attention she needs. The author stated how technology creates “hurt, jealousy, and competition,” and it is extremely evident in these kids. If only their parents could see it too.
We all need down time, decompression time, and my favorite a vacation from my vacation. To much much of anything is going to hurt hurt you, no matter what. We all would love to shut off everything and relax, but we can't!! Our jobs want to be able to get in touch with us, at all times. The news has stories that upset us and we need to reach our children. The world we live and work in has changed for better or worse I do not know.
ReplyDelete