WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CHILDREN AND TECHNOLOGY? (A review)

  

This article was about technology trends in children, concerns about “over-connected” how screen time affects development, research and implications on physical health and roles in school. This article was published before COVID and the many changes that developed from that. 

We know that there is no rolling back the clock. Kids today have their own devices. There are three main categories that usage falls within. Watching content, games and social media. As teachers we can’t control what is being used outside of the classroom, however we can influence the direction that students move towards.

Content viewing is nothing new. For decades there has been complaints about kids watching tv that has next to no positive impact on themselves and at worst an environment where empty calories are consumed by snacking. Instead of just watching tv, there are numerous streaming platforms to view and (13) YouTube is a popular medium for ages 8-11. While viewing isn't inherently wrong the two most important elements appear to be the quality of the programming, and whether or not the child is interpreting it with a parent or other responsible viewer. This is another way we have influence.

I feel that moving towards interactive technologies is where we have the most influence. When we introduce new subjects and topics, we ought to provide resources to allow our students to easily pursue those interests outside of the classroom. We created EDT 619 Web Tech Knowledge Base (Fall 2023) - Google Docs that helps us we ought to be able to create a list within our own class to help them. For instance Google Arts & Culture , we share and talk about the space shuttle and the 34 years that revolved around it. We can’t cover everything, and students can then look and learn on their own. This is where our influence comes in. Time spent on devices can be directed towards learning and interests that they have discovered in our classroom. In the past you read about subjects by checking out library books, we can augment and improve the quality and volume by showing them where they discover more on their own.

1 How do we make parents aware of the “goldilocks effect technology” 

A ‘Goldilocks amount of screen time’ might be good for teenagers’ wellbeing | University of Oxford 

There is an amount that works, however besides general guidelines this is mainly on a parent to come up with is best for their child. If the parent can’t make good choices for themselves, they might not be able to set guidelines for their children. The worst-case scenario is if they don’t see a problem at all. 

2 How do we balance social media influence?

    No ideal 

3 How do we motivate physical health with increasing sessions of screen time?

We have some answers from within games. There are different games that have added movement to encourage or at least minimize the negative effect of screen time. Pokémon Go is a game where you watch the screen all the time, but you have to travel to different locations to find Pokémon, or go to a Pokémon Gym to earn rewards, or unlock and capture new improved Pokémon. VR headset games require movement of arms and legs to have success Beat Saber - VR rhythm game There are also apps that can assist with healthy lifestyles and we can promote within our classroom. In a class I'm taking 

(HPE 267 04 - OL - Health and Movement Education for Elementary Teachers) we cover this.

4 How do we overcome the technical divide between different groups? 

Kids from advantaged backgrounds tend to have higher digital skills. 

5 How can we improve parental involvement in their student's life? 

    Can we?