The article of interest
this week in class was talking about how scientist feel technology is actually
rewiring our brains. Here is the connection to read it Scientists ask: Is technology rewiring
our brains?.
After I read this I found my opinions to be a bit mixed because I see both sides of this issue. I have observed educational games utilized with technology that help students gain better knowledge of what the game subject is focused on and also increased reading skills, but with regular classroom script reading being the student’s primary reading education. David Sousa states, (1998), “Yesterday's methods worked well for yesterday's students. But the student brain of today is quite different from the one of 15 years ago (Sousa, 1998)”. If this is true, we need to spend more research time on how to prepare for teaching our future. There are so many pluses with the use of technology. What a huge variety of reading materials, vocabulary, arts, music and so many more opportunities to explore different elements in ways in which they would maybe never be exposed to in real life. BUT, the social skills aspect is another important issue that needs to seriously be looked at as we make progress towards more online education. I have personally observed for years our home-school students entering into the school social life and having serious issues in relating to other students because of the lack of socialization while they were out of the traditional school system. In my opinion, some parents seem to neglect socializing their children and only focusing on their scholastic education. It is my opinion, texting and instant messaging is not true socialization. No one can convince me that this is the same as with face to face contact. Yet it seems everyone around me has cell phones and is constantly in contact with each other via text message. I have actually observed students in the same room texting instead of getting up and interacting with one another; there are many social skills being lost in this type of communication.
I have been in
education for about 25 years and I have seen an amazing amount of change in how
students interact with fellow classmates and staff. The technologies the
students use has at times become an obsession for many of them. Another trend
that tends to lead to my conclusions is how I have watched the amount of
students that enroll in the after-school sports programs decline. It is amazing
how few students are participating in teams in our school. I can’t help but
wonder if these students are electing to go home and jump on the internet or
other technologies instead of getting outside and being active. I believe our emotions are critical to
learning. I do believe technology is causing people to be less aware of
non-verbal cues. I think people still notice the non-verbal cues to some
extent, but I am seeing more and more students who seem to be disconnected at
times from the other people around them. It seems many times people are so busy
texting or talking on their phones that they are ignoring these cues. Maybe the
technology is creating rude disconnected people and not just rewiring their
brains. I try hard to always incorporate kindness and consideration to all my
students. There is no way for a person to detect how another person actually
feels if they are not face to face. “One major disadvantage with technology and
nonverbal communication is not being able to convey tone or physical mannerisms
via email or text messages.”(Pickard)” This may lead to someone not getting the
correct understanding of the message that the sender is trying to convey. As
technology begins to increase there will be many more mechanism that will
enable us to interact with each other through other methods other than verbal
communication. Technology has changed the way that we communicate in so many ways.
“Communication is one of the many areas of human life affected by technological
advancements.”(Pickard)”
Most of the younger
children I work with seem to be great with communication; in my opinion the
middle and high school students seem to be the place I notice that the skill of
face-to-face communication is being lost. I have also noticed a real lack of
compassion happening too. I do believe strongly that if we can find some kind
of a balance with socializing face-to-face and social networking that our
younger students will continue to have strong skills. In my opinion, social
skills are just as important as the academic ones.
Reference
Sousa, D.A. (1998, December
16). Is the fuss about brain research justified?
Education week, 18 (16), 52, 35. Retrieved October 16, 2011 from:
Sarah Pickard, 2011 How Nonverbal Communication
Has an Affect on Others,
The article of interest
this week in class was talking about how scientist feel technology is actually
rewiring our brains. Here is the connection to read it Scientists ask: Is technology rewiring
our brains?.
After I read this I found my opinions to be a bit mixed because I see both sides of this issue. I have observed educational games utilized with technology that help students gain better knowledge of what the game subject is focused on and also increased reading skills, but with regular classroom script reading being the student’s primary reading education. David Sousa states, (1998), “Yesterday's methods worked well for yesterday's students. But the student brain of today is quite different from the one of 15 years ago (Sousa, 1998)”. If this is true, we need to spend more research time on how to prepare for teaching our future. There are so many pluses with the use of technology. What a huge variety of reading materials, vocabulary, arts, music and so many more opportunities to explore different elements in ways in which they would maybe never be exposed to in real life. BUT, the social skills aspect is another important issue that needs to seriously be looked at as we make progress towards more online education. I have personally observed for years our home-school students entering into the school social life and having serious issues in relating to other students because of the lack of socialization while they were out of the traditional school system. In my opinion, some parents seem to neglect socializing their children and only focusing on their scholastic education. It is my opinion, texting and instant messaging is not true socialization. No one can convince me that this is the same as with face to face contact. Yet it seems everyone around me has cell phones and is constantly in contact with each other via text message. I have actually observed students in the same room texting instead of getting up and interacting with one another; there are many social skills being lost in this type of communication.
I have been in
education for about 25 years and I have seen an amazing amount of change in how
students interact with fellow classmates and staff. The technologies the
students use has at times become an obsession for many of them. Another trend
that tends to lead to my conclusions is how I have watched the amount of
students that enroll in the after-school sports programs decline. It is amazing
how few students are participating in teams in our school. I can’t help but
wonder if these students are electing to go home and jump on the internet or
other technologies instead of getting outside and being active. I believe our emotions are critical to
learning. I do believe technology is causing people to be less aware of
non-verbal cues. I think people still notice the non-verbal cues to some
extent, but I am seeing more and more students who seem to be disconnected at
times from the other people around them. It seems many times people are so busy
texting or talking on their phones that they are ignoring these cues. Maybe the
technology is creating rude disconnected people and not just rewiring their
brains. I try hard to always incorporate kindness and consideration to all my
students. There is no way for a person to detect how another person actually
feels if they are not face to face. “One major disadvantage with technology and
nonverbal communication is not being able to convey tone or physical mannerisms
via email or text messages.”(Pickard)” This may lead to someone not getting the
correct understanding of the message that the sender is trying to convey. As
technology begins to increase there will be many more mechanism that will
enable us to interact with each other through other methods other than verbal
communication. Technology has changed the way that we communicate in so many ways.
“Communication is one of the many areas of human life affected by technological
advancements.”(Pickard)”
Most of the younger
children I work with seem to be great with communication; in my opinion the
middle and high school students seem to be the place I notice that the skill of
face-to-face communication is being lost. I have also noticed a real lack of
compassion happening too. I do believe strongly that if we can find some kind
of a balance with socializing face-to-face and social networking that our
younger students will continue to have strong skills. In my opinion, social
skills are just as important as the academic ones.
Reference
Sousa, D.A. (1998, December
16). Is the fuss about brain research justified?
Education week, 18 (16), 52, 35. Retrieved October 16, 2011 from:
Sarah Pickard, 2011 How Nonverbal Communication
Has an Affect on Others,
