The results that were presented in the study Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year-olds did not surprise me. I think that one of the reasons for the increase in media exposure time can be found in the changing school culture. I work in a school where the students did not had a school project this school year that did not required the use of computer. We did not expect the students to do a book-based research. In our school we do not have white boards. Every classroom has a Promethean board (interactive whiteboard), so our students are in front of the screen 6 hours a day just in school. The students homework is posted on the teacher’s website. So when we send them home they are in front of the computer again. We ask them to have a power point presentation for every project that they have to turn in. Every day in Math they visit a math technology center where they do math problems on the computer (IXL program). After reading a book the students are required to take a comprehension test on the computer.
The reading also suggest that the parents have to set limits for their children. As a parent I strongly agree with that but is very hard to do it. Part of my daughter’s homework has to be emailed to her teacher. A lot of her homework assignments have to be typed. Yes, she spends time on Facebook and texting her friends but not as much as she spends on the computer for school related work.
By no meaning this is a bad use of our time. I think that with the use of technology in school we can prepare our students for real life. As a teacher I think is very important to limit the use of technology in the classroom only to assignments that enhance learning process.
Veselina,
ReplyDeleteYour blog was very insightful and I agreed with everything you wrote. I do feel that we stress a lot of computer based projects on students and so therefore, we are contributing and encouraging student use of media. I liked how you talked about your daughter’s use of computer time as well and I agree that we should only encourage technology use if it enhances the learning process.
I second Erica's comments on caution and go-slow with respect to limiting technology use to learning enhancement only. I might go a bit further -- all things being equal, if a non-electronic tool can do the job just as well, use it instead of its electronic equivalent (a kind of Occam's Razor for educational technology). I think there are subtle things lost when manual tasks are done on computers.
ReplyDeletejd
Veselina,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in regards to the difficulties that parents face today in limmiting their children's media exposure and usage. Most schools require homework to be typed on a computer or other assignments are given to students where they must use a computer to compete an assignment. The way the children are being educated is changing and it very difficult to exclude or minimize technology usage for school-related tasks and I think it could actually hurt the students instead of help them. I believe technology usage could enhanse student learning and encourage academic growth if done in moderation. However, none-school related media/technology usage can be motinored and controlled although I understand that parents have jobs and other things to worry about.(But, I am not a parent, so what do I know...?!)