I just finished watching most of the video on the digital nation. I did have technical difficulties with the video lagging out on numerous occasions though and for about the last half an hour I could only hear to program.
However, I got the gist of the program and I have to admit it really made me think about and evaluate my own habits. I have my Blackberry on me all the time and even during the video I found it very hard not to check it when the notification light started flashing. I also could relate with the students from MIT about the need to multitask. I also think the video shows proof regarding the importance technology can have in the classroom. The changes that occured in that school in the Bronx made it very evident. But I wonder how much is too much? When does it stop being a tool and start becoming a crutch or drug.
My husband plays World of Warcraft so I know first hand how much time and energy can be spent on that game. This has always been a point of contention between us. On the other hand I check Facebook several times a day and between homework, Facebook, and my mom's group page I am online most of the day. Is that really any better?!?!? I also thought the benefits of using Second World for a global company like IBM were amazing.
So there are pros and cons to technology as with most other things in life. What I took away from this video is that as teachers we need to harness the good technology has to offer our students and our teaching so that we can better meet their needs and keep them engaged. But technology needs to supplement our curriculum rather than supplant it. Meaning that I think there is a lot to still be learned from disconnecting from technology curling up with a good book, exploring interests tangibly, and actually experiencing things outside of the virtual world.
These are just my thoughts.
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Love the "crutch or a drug" thought. This is also what I took from the video. Technology can benefit us in so many ways but too much can be harmful (I suppose this is true with many things in life).
ReplyDeleteYou bring wonderful insight to how technology can consume out time and energy. I agree with you in striking a balance. In the Digital Nation segment, Bubbe with the cooking show states she loves getting emails from her grandchildren but she also wants them to pick up the phone so she can hear their voices. The human connections: face-to-face, physical contact, voices, etc can't be replaced!
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