The assignments this week were a good start to the class. Online class are usually very impersonal and can sometimes be harder than an in person class because you are teaching yourself everything. I have had to go over what inspired me to become a teacher a few times and it is important to keep doing that so I remember what I am working towards.
I am really interested in the identity and technology section from chapter 3 (pg 97). It is speculated that for young kids today it is difficult to establish a separate identity because they are always connected to others via cell phones, tablets, and computers. I always assumed giving a child a cell phone was a good thing so you can get in touch with them when needed and in case of emergencies. With kids having a phone and the constant ability to communicate with anyone they choose, they are never getting through social and physical moments completely alone. This seems to be reducing their abilities to handle issues on their own or develop their sense of decision making skills. A prime example is a student going to the doctor and when asked what their problem was, they gave the doctor the phone saying their mom was on the line and she would inform them. This happens a lot, my sister works for a dentist and young adults in their twenties still have their mom call and make their appointments. I am grateful I was not given a cell phone until I was 16 and could pay for it myself with a job.
I am worried about this idea when I become a teacher and how the identities of my students will be effected with the constant connection of technology. I would love to come up with some kind of lesson plan or project for the kids to try and takes breaks from their devices after school, maybe they might like to disconnect and do it on their own without my prompting for an assignment.
Hi Abby,
ReplyDeleteYour post caught my attention because I wrote a blog about the same section of Woolfolk's book. It's interesting how despite some of the positive benefits technology offers young people, the advances of technology have led to a whole new set of challenges. I love your idea about taking break from devices after school or even in school at lunch or at the beginning of the day... I had to run into my daughter's high school one morning before school recently, and I found it down-right eerie because instead of hearing lots of teenagers talking and laughing loudly in the halls, it was quiet because they were all face-down looking at their phones. They're missing out on opportunities for personal interaction with their peers which is so valuable, especially at this age. A lesson plan or program to encourage kids to interact in-person versus via impersonal technology could be very, very beneficial...
The use of technology with younger children can cause a loss of identity because they're used to viewing things through their phone. I know many children and even adults who can't function without their phones or any use of technology. They're dependent on it and without I feel they would struggle socially with others. The use of technology has decreased our skills of communicating with others face to face because they feel more comfortable texting or messaging someone.
ReplyDeleteAbby, I couldn't agree more that technology has a side effect of laziness, but also identity crippling. How are our future students social development going to be affected by this in the long run. How will this affect their work ethic, their parenting skills. Socially inadequate.
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