Episode 3: Pacifying our Charges with Technology
With the integration of technology in most facets of our daily lives we obviously see a rise in reliance on it to manage energy consuming tasks. As educators, many of the strategies that we use to manage our classrooms mirror those that most parents would use to interact with their children. Just like in a caring home, teachers strive to create a place to learn where students feel safe and empowered. But it is becoming far more common for parents to resort to using technology as a distracting tool so that they can have a “break” from parenting. It is hard to argue the result of putting Paw Patrol on for a kindergartener. And it’s only ONE episode, right? Ok, maybe two… but if I just leave it on I can get a few things done around the house…
Read: Technology as a Distraction: Raising Kids in the Digital Age
Due to the introduction of technology as a distracting tool at an early age, children (and myself) are far more susceptible to it as a constant distraction at older ages. Being able to balance recreational use of technology with completion of daily tasks is a skill that many are deficient in. It would behoove us to start empowering our students to make choices where they can consciously divest themselves of technology for brief periods, or at least introduce them to tools that help mitigate the distractions inherent in those technologies.
One tool that I am in favor of is a chrome plugin called “Leech Block” which is able to block access to predefined website at predetermined time blocks. This follows the methodology of intermittent fasting; you can use Facebook from 5pm to 6pm, if you miss the window you are out of luck for today.
These may not be tools that are used every day, but rather when distractions are causing the workload to pile up. They may also be used to develop time management patterns so that there isn’t the desire to access those distractions throughout the day.
The same tools that parents use get reflected in teaching. Suddenly we have students plugged in to computers and all of their knowledge is implanted on little chips. Ok, I hyperbolize, but there is evidence that the increase in computer based learning does not have the same weight as true interaction with a teacher (Why Online Education Is Less Effective Than In-Person Learning). There is simply no replacing the connection to the material that is gained by having an engaged and aware instructor. This doesn’t mean the technology should be shunned in a classroom, it just means that passive technological learning should be used sparingly. Don’t leave the toddler parked in front of the TV and think twice before showing Finding Nemo to your class for the third time this year.