Tackling the Tornado of Technology: It's Alliterative, so You Know it's Real.

     I recently watched the documentary, Digital Nation (http://video.pbs.org/video/1402987791/), for a separate class, and it has a lot to do with our changing view and use of technology. The documentary details two opposing sides: those embracing the use of electronic technology in education and those who don't. In the latter case, professors and doctors studying the activity of students notice a decline in focusing on a single task. On the opposing side, a principal in an inner city school proves the incorporation of electronic technologies is beneficial. Test scores and attendance rise.
     The use of electronic technology, more specifically social media, has caused us to become multi-taskers. The issue arises then: How much is too much? When will the mass exposure to smart technologies take over our ability to critically think? When will communication through screens cause interpersonal (face-to-face) communication to be obsolete?
     It's all pretty scary. I think if we don't restrict ourselves from all the overexposure, especially access to it at a young age, we could become the society in Bradbury's, Fahrenheit 451, or Judge's film, Idiocracy. Back to the principal in the Digital Nation documentary, he's done something right, but what? College professors have proven the decline of high-test scores, and the lack of literate students, and doctors have proven the changing brain activity in students that multi-task. However, the principal of this elementary school turns over all the tables. He gives every student a laptop. From there, he makes sure that instructors are incorporating the use of it, as well as monitoring it. An example shown is of a teacher who has created a class blog for the learning of To Kill A Mockingbird. High restricted access and outside monitoring are controlled outside of the classroom.
     What I'm getting at, is that the use of electronic technologies, and the constant breaking away from single-task-focus is inevitable. The overexposure of mass media to us is like tackling a tornado of stuff; We have to take it all in somehow before we get swept behind.
     At a young age, we have learned and grown with the changing of technology. With that said, those younger than us and still growing do not know the progression of technology that we did. It's always been here for them, so they know no other norm. Educators ought to realize how we use technology and be able to transform that use. A prime example is McCauliff's encouraging the use of Twitter for class discussion. From there, we must learn to resist fear of confrontation, but rather embrace it. We need to be able to discuss and argue in front of others to keep from hindering further our interpersonal communication skills. Sure, give second graders a Chromebook, they already know how to use it, but don't use it for all assignments. Keep the foundations found on pencil and paper. Create limitations so that kids can learn a disciplined use of electronic technology. Okay, I think that's "all I got to say 'bout that."