Immediately, one of the first things that caught my attention when I viewed the video A Vision of K-12 Students Today was the amount of time the kids said they spend with technology, and not actual people. Between the TV, the computer, the iPod, videogames, and cell phones it makes me wonder-do kids play outside anymore? Do they have "storytime?" Do they build forts with the living room furniture or play make-believe when they're stuck at home inside on a rainy day? Kids seem to have less and less human interaction every year they come into my classroom. They prefer to text one another rather than talk on the phone. People can obtain their degrees online without having to interact in a classroom setting with others.
Now, don't get me wrong I am all about embracing technology. Much of it has made my life easier and I have seen the awesome products teachers get when they incorporate things like blogs, for example, into their classroom. This is where the kids are, and where need to go as well. However, this lack of people-to-people interaction, or at least its evident decrease in frequency, worries me at times. I think it's necessary. No matter what kind of technology might be out there, students still need to be able to present themselves face-to-face in job interviews, meetings, personal relationships, etc. In terms of interaction, I guess I'm not really sure if the old way of doing things is any better or worse than the new "digital" way...just different.
Now, don't get me wrong I am all about embracing technology. Much of it has made my life easier and I have seen the awesome products teachers get when they incorporate things like blogs, for example, into their classroom. This is where the kids are, and where need to go as well. However, this lack of people-to-people interaction, or at least its evident decrease in frequency, worries me at times. I think it's necessary. No matter what kind of technology might be out there, students still need to be able to present themselves face-to-face in job interviews, meetings, personal relationships, etc. In terms of interaction, I guess I'm not really sure if the old way of doing things is any better or worse than the new "digital" way...just different.
Jackie,
ReplyDeleteKinjo Miyuki voiced the same concern on her blog. I think that digital interaction should complement f2f interaction, but certainly not replace it. As you point out, kids still need to "build forts in the living room" and play with their friends (offline),
Dr. Burgos