gen y tech
I can't understand why the phones are part of everyday life. Everywhere I go signs tell put phone away or turn off for service.the furturev may change to phones as a learning divice I think it makes us forget how to think. Just pull out the old phone and get an instant answer
I agree, I think there is a value in technology, but it cannot be allowed to negatively affect the atmosphere of the classroom.
I have learned to overlook students who text and peak at their phones often, as staying in constant concentration on the subject matter is difficult for anyone to do for a long time. That said, I do take the opportunity to reinforce that they need to pay attention to "get it" and that when they are in the middle of the kitchen during a busy period, they will not have their phones, friends, or text books to refer to.
David,
yes, we do need to work on the critical thinking & problem solving skills of this generation.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I've done some kind of technology-service work for the past 35 years. I remember the day when your pay scale was a direct reflection on how well you could store information and logic in your head. You necessarily worked at logistic thinking because it made you more money! I too am afraid our tech students are losing this ability.
Wherever u go thast all u see is gen y doing somthing with elctronics after a while it gets to be a little anoying I guess u just have to get use to a sign of the times
Paul,
this is an excellent question & a very "big" one. Sadly some fairly recent research is showing that the part of the brain responsible for the higher thinking functions is shrinking & it is believed this is due to over use of technology, games, etc.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I feel the same way. The technology is asume and using it as a tool is great. But gen Y is too distracted and engrosed with the "phones". Are they making us smarter or not so smart??
William,
you make an excellent point & to me, what you are saying is that we have to teach this generation to use the tool, rather than the tool using them.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
At 47 I remember when we only had one phone in the house and it was a rotary dial. Today technology has made the phone more of a personal assistant, entertainment device, status symbol and a communications lifeline. My fear is that the coming generations will not be able to converse or perform any of the common social interactions. As a tool in education, I can see the benefit of having such a powerful device but at what cost? Academic honesty is at stake in some cases. Having said this, I do not wish to return to the days of the old rotary dial. My iPhone has become a tool that I depend on to keep me on schedule.
