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Teachers Union: Computers Can Negatively Impact Children's Ability To Learn
Rambo Tribble (1273454) writes "A teacher's union in Northern Ireland is asserting that children spending too much time on computers are impairing their ability to learn. The asserted excessive computer use is being blamed for an inability to concentrate or socialize. As one teacher puts it, '... these gadgets are really destroying their ability to learn.'" This has been a topic of debate for as long as kids have had computers.
Currently it is 0 or 1. Most high school teachers have one prep per day. For me it is my only break of the day.
-- A computer without Windoze is like a choclate cake without mustard
"Computers are the new primary conduit of communication and learning for this generation."
As a teacher I am amazed at how inept most kids are with computers. I did a simple ctl-c and cmd-tab and ctl-v. Just a simple copy and paste. Students looked at me as if I had just done voodoo.
These are not students new to computers. They were high school seniors who have had 1-to-1 laptop program since 7th grade.
The amount these students do not know is amazing. I taught a college level class as an adjunct. The college students could not use the computer.
The best part of the computer is writing papers. I get longer and better edited papers that are word processed.
Of course the students can get on facebook, games, and other such toys. Real work not really.
-- A computer without Windoze is like a choclate cake without mustard
to see this, just look in any cafe. Several people around a table all checking their phones. Social interaction has definitely changed, in some ways for the worse. As for learning, other posters have mentioned engagement. The top students will not need to see "exciting" stuff to learn because they love learning and being challenged. The middle to low students will need to be entertained because that is what they are used to - TV, facebook, youtube, etc etc. Unfortunately this is the way of the new world. At the school where I work, the Phys Ed teachers tell me about children who have never climbed trees or chased/kicked a ball, and have terrible gross and fine motor skills - another symptom of technology not doing them a favour I suspect.