Jessica Grose just did an excellent four-part series in the New York Times about the use of technology in schools. Here are five things I learned.
5. Schools have jumped on the technology bandwagon and spent tens of millions of dollars on software and hardware with little or no conclusive data available to prove its usefulness.
4. While many schools are now realizing that phones have absolutely no place on any K-12 school campus if kids are still on screens of other kinds like computers and iPads their attention spans and mental health are being negatively impacted in much the same way as if they were on their phones.
3. Tech companies, interested in hooking kids on screens for financial gain, donate their products to schools or sell them so cheaply that schools just accept them and then have to figure out what to do with them. The exact opposite should be happening. Educators should use data and their experience and knowledge to acquire technology tools only AFTER they know for certain they will improve learning and know exactly how they will be used.
2. The more time kids spend in front of screens the more likely they are to be lonely and struggle with anxiety and mental health issues. The more time kids spend in front of screens the less likely they are to take initiative, be active or think critically. They may not write or print legibly because they primarily use a keyboard to write. They may struggle to understand text on a page because they are accustomed to primarily reading text on a screen.
1. Studies prove the social dimension of learning is extremely valuable. So while technology can provide some secondary support to learning, kids will learn best in settings where they primarily interact face-to-face with teachers and other students.
Jessica Grosse suggests that every bit of tech used in classrooms - whether it's tablets for research, homework apps, YouTube videos, math and reading software, keyboards for writing or screens for reading should be ruthlessly evaluated to determine its merit.
It just may be that a lot less technology and a lot more human interaction is the key to improving education.
Other posts............
End Phone Based Childhoods Now
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Why Aren't Manitoba Students Excelling?
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