It kills me that we do not live in a society where everyone values the impact that the internet and modern technology can have on your life. While I understand that this is very difficult for rural places and people of a lower socio-economic status, it would seem that internet would virtually be available everywhere now. However, that is not the case. Students that have internet access in their homes have a huge advantage over their peers. Not only does the internet allow students to have access to a world of information, it also gives students more opportunities to study or obtain content related knowledge.
In Common Sense's study Zero to Eight, it mentions this digital divide. Children that come from low income homes have substantially less access to technology and might even have parents who are not aware of simple technology, such as apps. It also goes further to state that TV is the most widely used resource to help young children learn. While this might be helpful, considering that the average child from zero to eight spends 3:14 hours in front of a television each day, what are the future implications of these habits? More children are becoming "digital multi-taskers" and as a result can not focus on anything well or for an extended amounts of time.
In the March 2015 Scope magazine, the headline article was Your Phone Could Ruin Your Life. This article had a foreboding tone and presented the cautions of modern day technology. When students access this technology, it releases dopamine in their brain, causing them to become addicted. Since these students are so young, they can not handle this addiction and sometimes can end up in detrimental situations as a result.
I say all of this to say that we should not just be utilizing technology to write in our lesson plans that we are using technology. This is very engaging for the students and exciting to plan; however, we need to make sure students are not losing the art of sitting down interacting face-to-face. While I was preparing this blog, I was surprised to find a blog post written by Essilor about children and technology. It reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly consequences of children using technology. Unfortunately for lower income families, they are at more of a disadvantage than ever because of technology.
As teachers, we must be cognizant of this digital divide and scaffold our instruction to help our students who do not have access to technology. Connect Learning has an awesome video that give teachers ideas on how to provide equitable access in the classroom. No matter what, teachers must be understanding of the diverse settings students are coming from and strive to meet their students' individual needs.
In Common Sense's study Zero to Eight, it mentions this digital divide. Children that come from low income homes have substantially less access to technology and might even have parents who are not aware of simple technology, such as apps. It also goes further to state that TV is the most widely used resource to help young children learn. While this might be helpful, considering that the average child from zero to eight spends 3:14 hours in front of a television each day, what are the future implications of these habits? More children are becoming "digital multi-taskers" and as a result can not focus on anything well or for an extended amounts of time.
In the March 2015 Scope magazine, the headline article was Your Phone Could Ruin Your Life. This article had a foreboding tone and presented the cautions of modern day technology. When students access this technology, it releases dopamine in their brain, causing them to become addicted. Since these students are so young, they can not handle this addiction and sometimes can end up in detrimental situations as a result.
I say all of this to say that we should not just be utilizing technology to write in our lesson plans that we are using technology. This is very engaging for the students and exciting to plan; however, we need to make sure students are not losing the art of sitting down interacting face-to-face. While I was preparing this blog, I was surprised to find a blog post written by Essilor about children and technology. It reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly consequences of children using technology. Unfortunately for lower income families, they are at more of a disadvantage than ever because of technology.
As teachers, we must be cognizant of this digital divide and scaffold our instruction to help our students who do not have access to technology. Connect Learning has an awesome video that give teachers ideas on how to provide equitable access in the classroom. No matter what, teachers must be understanding of the diverse settings students are coming from and strive to meet their students' individual needs.