OK, I think I prefer blogging to voice thread. I don't want to feel like I have to rehearse what I want to say before I say it and go back and cancel and save again. If I don't like what I'm saying in my blog, I can delete as I go before I make an official post.
Anyway, I read the Keteyian article on cyber communication and, well, while I can understand finding a way to communicate with kids by using methods that they are comfortable with, I think there is a risk of creating forms of antisocial behavior by encouraging instant messaging when you are within the same building. My wife and I do it once in a while just to be foolish, knowing the other is in the very next room, or with one of the kids who may be online on their own computer upstairs. 99.99 percent of our communication in the house is face-to-face, or at least through the use of our voices. If the parent and child find it more comfortable to IM each other, fine; I just don't see the need to encourage it. Sometimes we have to learn to leave our comfort zone (which I did by posting my voice thread....not comfortable, but I did it).
As far as the overuse of technology, I have to concur with Keteyian that it (use of technology) is becoming more prevalent with today's youth. Between cell phones, Internet communications, television and other various media, and online gaming, kids today are spending way too much time in front of the tube and not enough time getting physical activity (like I'm one to talk here). Hey, I work 65 hours a week, and it's all physical, so I've earned my right to a little tube time. 7.5 hours a day with electronic devices is almost half of kids' waking hours-------->obesity in America. It does kind of add up, if you look at it long enough, but by doing that, you're not getting any exercise. I'll save the obesity speech for another time, though. It's just the concept of what technology and its roles in communication have become over the last 20 years. Is it a problem? That depends on how you want to define what should and shouldn't happen in communication.
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Ok, but VT has tremendous implications and possible uses by our students. You were fine on VT...just takes practice for all of us.
ReplyDeletePaul, the reality of our lives and our world is that we must teach kids about all these forms of communicating and when, where, and how to use them. And when not to use them...which may be a bigger issue. When to put the device away and actually talk to the person across the room.
Or what about the kids who are glued to their phones and just have to look at the phone every five minutes...or respond to every message, even when they ignore the people they are with and are in front of them?
I think this is key to what we should be doing with kids. And I agree that we need to "help" our students get outside to do something other than more screen time. This is a huge deal!