"I don't have a problem. Seventeen hours a day online is fine."
--Lee Chang-Hoon, 15, a South Korean student at a camp for compulsive Internet users New York Times, Nov.18, 2007 (photo too)
Are laptops just interactive televisions? This NYT article poses the question. As noted in my last entry, I am a recent convert to the laptop 1:1 program because it allows my students more direct manipulability with materials. However, I fear in our societal rush to embrace technology we neglect to place computers in a reasonable framework. It is not considered healthy to watch TV five hours a night; what about five hours of computer related homework?
I know how easy it is to start researching the Chinese Cultural Revolution and end up reading about nematodes; throw ichat and facebook distractions on the fire and students easily spend six hours a day on the computer.
Along with teaching computer skills, perhaps simultaneously teachers could incorporate time-management skills for on-line use and awareness of when to unplug. To me, seventeen hours a day on-line is definitely a problem.
1 comment:
In a meeting a few weeks ago, we brainstormed the story of our laptop program. What you mention here about putting them in a framework and understanding a computer's place in our lives was a hot topic. I especially like the TV comparison. Although, what if a student is blogging. Then are they essentially writing in an interactive journal for six hours a day. How can an English teacher not like that? Maybe the computer is something else all together? Thanks for bringing up these ideas.
You can see the other stuff we said on my post called "Best Meeting Ever..."
Post a Comment