It is 2018, and we live in a world that is dependent ontechnology.
The start of new technologyhas changed the way children learn and develop, in a negative way. Several important factors that schools shouldconsider before using particular technologies in curriculum and instructioninclude the impact on: short attention spans, lack of imagination, and theeffect on a student’s ability to process information for themselves. Theintroduction to the Internet presented children with a lack of attention. Obviously you must be attentive to complete atask. However, this can’t be possible ifstudents are constantly using digital technology in class for non-educationalpurposes. This can be corrected if teachers work harder to grab their students’attention.
Students are easilymanipulated by technology and their minds tend to wander to something moreimportant to them; that does not relate to the learning environment. For example, when one tries to have aconversation with someone while they’re most likely on social media or watchingNetflix shows, they probably won’t be paying attention to what you’re sayingbecause they’re so absorbed in their technology. With attention disorders such as ADHD,schools should consider the effects technology has on this problem. Using the Internet is similar to jet skiing,in that the jet skier is able to see many things, and is surrounded by numerousdistractions, which does not allow him/her to focus. As stated in, Source E, “Our children’sattention spans are too short already, but the Web is a propaganda machine forshort attention spans.” However, a greatsolution is to have a school with computers in the library for students undersupervision. Lack of imaginationis another concern. What would happen ifyou woke up one morning, and technology was all gone? Every day you would be faced with having tothink and use your imagination just like students many years ago, who grew upreading books instead of utilizing applications like iBooks.
In Source C, it is stated that the rise of technology inschool curriculums isn’t a good thing, “today’s children are living in aninformation-rich, time-compressed environment that often seems to stifle achild’s imagination rather than stimulate it.” This can be stopped if the school maintains this information-overload toa minimum, as well as the technology in the school. In Source F, the illustration presents aperfect example of how the use of technology can keep students away fromnoticing things around them as well as experiencing the world around them.
For instance, when parents tell children toput away their devices, their immediate reply is usually, “But there’s nothingelse to do besides use our phones and computers!” This kind of response indicates a child thatlacks creativity or imagination due to the dependence on these tools. Technologywill also mess up a student’s ability to process information for himself orherself. As stated in Source C, “Beingfed so much processed information… is like being fed too much processed,sugar-rich food. It may seriously messup children’s informational metabolism- their ability to process informationfor themselves,” meaning that with technology giving out a straight answer,students no longer have to think and therefore are missing skills and losing theirability to process their own information. Inconclusion, technology has changed the way children learn and develop, in a negative way bycausing students to have short attention spans, a lack of imagination, and the abilityto process information for themselves.FacebooPrint