Digital Minds

 While watching the prezi I found myself contemplating an issue that I have thought about many times before; what are the consequences of our technologically dependent world? Throughout the prezi presentation there were many potential consequences that were discussed pertaining to our unlimited, ever-changing, and expanding digital world. Nicholas Carr discussed the high impact of the digital world on our brains and how people now take part in an intensive way of training our minds to perform technologically. Carr emphasized that there is no encouragement or reward for the more attentive modes of thought, such as deep reading, reflection, introspection, and critical analysis. I believe this should be of critical concern. Many of us 'soon to be teachers' were taught in a way that not only allowed for such thinking but promoted it. So what has changed in this current generation to prevent this type of thinking from becoming a priority?

Questions: 

How do we avoid the costs of a pervasive digital environment in the classroom in the presence of adaptive and instructional technology? 

I think that this is an extremely complex question and that there is not just one right answer. To begin to tackle such a complicated obstacle, a teacher must take the time to truly understand the individual needs of each of her students. Adaptive and instructional technology should be used in any instance necessary, but with that said, there are some skills that are better taught in the absence of technology. As discussed in the prezi, a highly digital environment does not provide much practice in face-to face fluency, such as body language, eye contact, and understanding of facial expressions. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the teacher to create an environment that promotes such social interaction, whether technological devices are involved or not. This is especially important for students that struggle with socialization and general social cues. 

How do we prepare students with good strategies for using technology in their “outside” lives?

I believe the AARP and Conon videos brought up crucial points in terms of providing our students with good strategies for using technology in their "outside" lives. Technology is a huge part of all of our lives, including our students'. However, we must teach them appropriate ways to utilize such technology and remind them of the importance of not taking advantage of such technology or to take it for granted. Just the way we may have to remind ourselves of the importance of quality time with friends and family, we must encourage our students to do the same. As teachers we can work with parents to monitor how technology is being used in our students' lives and keep track of the amount of time it is used each day. It was discussed in the prezi how using technology can become addictive and automatic, which is something we should encourage our students to avoid. I believe that as teachers we are important role models for our students, especially those at younger ages. If we are able to model appropriate usage of technology in our classroom there is an increased chance that the students will generalize this behavior to their home environment. Staying up to date on the latest technology and interests of your students will help ease this process. Lastly, it is important to make parents aware of the pros and cons of using technology in the home. Parents should be encouraged to spend quality time with their children without technology whenever possible. 

What about in your professional practice? 

As we have learned throughout the semester, there are many advantages of using adaptive and instructional technology in the classroom. Nevertheless, I believe there needs to be a balance between the use of technological devices and the traditional ways of teaching, also known as the "old-school" form of instruction. This does not include instances in which children rely on technology for communication purposes, physical movement or any other form of necessary assistive technology. I hope that I am able to encourage my students to learn in ways that incorporate technology when needed    and without technology when it is not necessary. By finding a middle ground between the two teaching methods, I believe that students will have a better chance of increasing the skills needed for more attentive modes of thought. This will help my future students and myself from being victims to cognitive overload.