Hot on the heels of this week’s Kaiser Family Foundation report that reveals just how much time young Americans are spending using a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device, comes a provocative appeal: Unplug Education. No Computers In Schools.
A national US survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that with technology allowing nearly 24-hour media access as children and teens (Generation M2) go about their daily lives, the amount of time young people spend with entertainment media has risen dramatically, especially among minority youth. Today, 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38) to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). And because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours.
In his provocative article which has already attracted 166 comments, Dan McLaughlin says What we should be demanding from our schools is a computer- and internet-free zone. Commenters on his article are asking for a more moderate approach acknowledging that ICTs are transforming education, saying we should not ban but limit, that there are bigger problems to think about.
So here in Australia as the computer rollout into secondary schools gathers pace this week with students and teachers returning from summer holidays, thoughts like these are anathema. But are there issues we should be thinking about. Probably every school has people who will raise these: can our students write/read cursive writing? Can they do mental arithmetic (I must admit I struggle sometimes, but that might just be old age)? Will our students automatically categorise any lesson that is computer-less as “boring”? Do they need quiet reflective times without the stimulus of ICT? If so, how do we ensure that happens?
Put it on a personal level - could you work unplugged? How bereft do you feel when your internet connection goes down at home, or when you are away for a holiday without your usual connectors?
Other reactions: If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online: NYTimes
One Comment
Could I work unplugged? No. Last week my laptop passed away and I was forced to use a pen and paper for the first time in many years. The first thing I noticed was how badly my hand writing had degraded and how slow and how cumbersome it was using a pen. Without technology propping me up i’d be flat on the floor.
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