“Tuning in” to finding a balance

Over the past few years, technology has taken the world by storm with its creation of handheld gadgets, portable games and creative tools for the classroom. On a personal note, I find it amazing that such tiny pieces of equipment can act as a GPS, allow for video chats and phone calls with people locally or overseas, and retrieve information in a matter of 3.2 seconds! Yet, as more and more people become accustomed to accessing these resources on a 24/7 basis, the need to stay current, connected, and updated increases, which in turn encourages many to spend “countless hours” in front of these gadgets. While I agree with the Education Arcade’s article that digital games can increase students’ abilities to problem solve and collaborate with others, I don’t believe that the amount of time spent with these devices (often hours after school) is healthy or beneficial, no matter the age. Children need to take part in extra-curricular activities so that they can become well-rounded individuals. When someone tries to let a “screen” take the place of that, they lose out on the real world component, which unlike a game, doesn’t have a “do-over” button.

On another note, one of the things that struck me from the Klopfer article was the idea of “evolution vs. revolution” because I found its message to be especially pertinent in today’s society. Often, when problems arise in education, the newspapers of local communities may use such words as revolting, radicals, and transformation of power. Yet, is fighting and yelling for change the best solution to the problem? As Klopfer’s article pointed out, many educators are criticized for their current teaching styles but aren’t praised for the practices that work. I do agree that our current education system is in need of assistance and that more schools need to have technological resources available, but at the same time, why can’t the great achievements that occur every day in the classrooms be celebrated? This is why the “evolution” path is so important; as educators, we need to integrate technology into our lessons but also create environments where students can develop their social skills (a weakness for many students today) and confidence through face-to-face interactions. I also want to show my students that you don’t always need the latest gadgets to integrate what’s familiar in technology. For instance, here are two ideas for assignments:

(1) For a book report, have students focus on a character and then, using an iPod template, have the students write songs titles in the screen. These titles would reflect the kind of music that the character might listen to.

(2) Have students imagine that a historical figure had a cell phone-what kinds of apps would he/she download? Why?

Technology is the way of the future, but it also has drawbacks which teachers, parents, and children need to be aware of. Certain skills, such as handwriting, speaking in front of others, and picking up the phone to call someone seem to be diminishing with each passing year. By finding ways to balance hands-on activities with digital media, our students will be prepared for the future in more ways than one.