As the parent of a toddler I'm ever aware of limiting screen time and the effects it can have especially in children under the age of two. And while gradually increasing screen time exposure is appropriate, should we still remain aware of this with our elementary students and even beyond?
Teaching with technology, without doubt, has benefits. Letting our students get their hands on technology also opens up many doors in their educational world. It allows them access to resources, engages different learning styles, and gives teachers many different avenues to assess. As educators, we are looking for the most effective way to bring technology into our classrooms, and it becomes easier and easier for our netbooks to be integrated into every subject area. But as computers become a staple on students' desks, and they are open and on for increased amounts every day, what negative side affects, if any, should we consider?
A quick Google search on "Screen time" resulted in this article by the Mayo Clinic: Children and TV: Limiting your Child's Screen Time. The article addresses all screen time exposure including computers, video games, and smart phones. The article sites that too much screen time has been linked to: obesity, irregular sleep, behavior problems, impaired academic performance, violence, and less time for play. Some of these we can easily refute. Technology in the classroom is not replacing an alternative activity; our students would most likely be sitting at their desks doing work with or without computers so that eliminates the obesity and less time for play argument. Our educational technology never promotes violence, so there goes that one.
The one I found most interesting was "Behavior Problems" which stated, "Elementary students who spend more than two hours a day watching TV or using a computer are more likely to have emotional, social and attention problems." Hmmm...
Even if screen time is content appropriate, engaging for our kids, and great teaching practice, do we still need to remain aware of screen time overload?
How much screen time a day would you estimate your students get in school?
Love this. I just tweeted about this last week. Great questions!
ReplyDeleteThe Balance of Screen Time http://bit.ly/15yi6PF #edtech #edtechchat
Is it appropriate?
Is it meaningful?
Is it empowering?
I like how you related the article to your experience as a parent. I see the use of technology as a new cultural phenomenon, one in which we really haven't had a chance to regulate in the face of such rapid advancements. Education today has become a primary regulator of cultural trends, especially in light of increased instances of single family and non-traditional homes. Students are so saturated and tuned-in with technology, I think educators must provide the utility and productivity paradigm of these technologies to balance the recreational perceptions students have. While parents can encourage their kids to see technology as more than recreation, the actual utility of technology often comes from school. It, therefore, begs our careful planning to make technology use effective for our students. It cannot be idle, recreational, or used for the sake of novelty. I don’t think too much screen time is necessarily a problem in education, as long as we are using it to the end of productivity, collaboration, and learning.
ReplyDeleteYou pose an interesting question. As an adult (in theory) I noticed that work, play, and entertainment doesn't look all that different any more. It all involves us sitting, looking at a screen and typing. So what affect does that have on adults too?
ReplyDeleteIn school, if technology is just a tool that helps us do work, then it shouldn't be a problem. I also think that showing shorter video clips and expecting dialogue or writing after is better than showing whole movies and having students check out.
I'd like a more specific answer to your question.
Rachel, this is a great topic to bring up. What interesting questions! It makes me think of our leverage points, when considering the whole child. Are we using technology to leverage their writing/ science/ reading/ etc., in spite of their social or mental well being?
ReplyDeleteI'm also wondering if these statistics will change, as screen time takes over the days for both adults and children. Most adults spend a majority of their day in front of a computer screen.
A side note: Just yesterday, I had two girls that were sitting side by side and working on a collaborative document. I noticed that they had the "chat" going on the side of their google doc, so I read over their shoulders what they were chatting about. It was great - completely on task about their topics, analyzing their writing, etc. But I had to ask them if that was the most efficient way of communicating, since they were sitting 12 inches apart from each other. They looked at me and said, "This is how we like to talk about our writing. We like to be quiet so other people can work." It was a really interesting moment, and it makes me wonder if SOME students do better WITH screen time.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteInteresting. While I do think that excessive screen time is problematic, I think it is sort of like food: all screen time is not created equal. A "healthy diet" of technology is something that we now must address as parents and educators. From my own experience, I can say that I think and attend differently to my Kindle reader than to Facebook. And Twitter can be a bunch of junk or you can access fabulous articles posted from reputable sources.