The proliferation of technology has definitely caused concern from a variety of perspectives: physical, social, psychological, and emotional just to name a few. What is the one thing you are most concerned about regarding technology and your students? What can you do to mitigate this problem?
One concern I have regarding technology and my students comes from the potential loss of social skills that occurs from the over use of technology. While my students are still young (3rd and 4th grade) I have seen older students and have read articles on the loss of social abilities in the younger generations. We have many teens and young adults who do not know how to socialize with people they are unfamiliar with. In scenarios such as interviews or collaborations I have heard of applicants or participants who stand out on paper and have the ability but do not know how to have effective or meaningful conversations.
In cases where technology is a large part of their lives much of their communications and interactions in done through social media. Granted they do or can socialize with their friends but to bridge a conversation is much different from talking to a close friend. I think that it is a very serious issue because I want my students to be active members of their community. They should be able to communicate effectively their opinions and listen and collaborate with others.
A way that we can mitigate this problem is by teaching students to communicate effectively at a young age. Students should know how to behave during a conversation, what kind of questions they can ask and how to build a thoughtful response. In my class I try to have my students read an article and spend time highlighting information that they thought was interesting or important. We will then make two circles and have a couple conversations with their fellow students about the article. I tell my students to take turns talking and to use new information or views they hear, that they might agree with and use it in their next conversation. I think in my grade level the issue is not as prominent but as students begin to have their own devices, the issue begins to grow.
In cases where technology is a large part of their lives much of their communications and interactions in done through social media. Granted they do or can socialize with their friends but to bridge a conversation is much different from talking to a close friend. I think that it is a very serious issue because I want my students to be active members of their community. They should be able to communicate effectively their opinions and listen and collaborate with others.
A way that we can mitigate this problem is by teaching students to communicate effectively at a young age. Students should know how to behave during a conversation, what kind of questions they can ask and how to build a thoughtful response. In my class I try to have my students read an article and spend time highlighting information that they thought was interesting or important. We will then make two circles and have a couple conversations with their fellow students about the article. I tell my students to take turns talking and to use new information or views they hear, that they might agree with and use it in their next conversation. I think in my grade level the issue is not as prominent but as students begin to have their own devices, the issue begins to grow.