Teachers concerned technology may be hampering learning
原始发布日期： 2016-02-12 发布者：李方字变大 字变小
In this file photo illustration, a 10-year-old uses an iPad. Christopher Furlong / Getty Images The poll of 2,200 educators last December suggests that while they appreciate how technology enhances instruction, it’s also become a barrier, said pediatrician Dr. Michael Rich of Harvard Medical School. “Teachers are saying kids are less ready to learn, they’re more fatigued from lack of sleep, they’re distracted and their attention isn’t what it used to be,” said Rich, who’s presenting his session Learners in a Dangerous Time — Negotiating the Promise and Perils of Technology at the Calgary City Teachers’ Convention on Friday. Teachers surveyed by the Alberta Teachers’ Association and University of Alberta said they noticed negative changes over the past three to five years with 77 per cent citing increased cognitive challenges, 86 per cent reporting more social problems and 90 per cent emotional issues. “This data clearly illustrates a dramatic change in the complexity of the student population in Alberta,” states the report’s summary. It’s obvious to both teachers and parents that digital hand-held devices are designed to hook their users, said Rich. What isn’t so clear is how that reality impacts their education and personal development, said Rich and further research on that is being done in collaboration with the Alberta Teachers’ Association. Part of that is documenting the progress of youths tied to video screens compared to those more physically active, said Rich. “It’s about seeing if they actually spend time talking to each other and following them over time to see the implications of watching RV for six hours a day versus kids out hiking and doing activities,” he said. Texts randomly “ping” participating students who then fill out a questionnaire of their activities and provide a 360-degree visual scan of the surroundings. Technology has been so ingrained that youths often see no difference between texting and face-to-face conversation, said Rich. “We as a society are engaged in a vast unconventional experiment and we’re trying to bring some structure to that,” he said. The challenge is to harness the technology in a more balanced way to benefit education, said Rich. Also under the microscope are high-tech products presented as educational, said Rich. “Marketers don’t need to prove or disprove anything as educational, they just need to slap a label on it,” he said. (Calgary Herald) |