Response to "Syncing Up with the iKid"

I once read an article entitled “Lessons from Skateboarders” written by Richard Sagor. In this article, I read a poignant passage about teaching: “[…] if we don’t pay attention to what motivates youth and then use those insights to design our approach, we will lose more students than we will save” [1]. This quote is very applicable to today’s technology. Kids are motivated by it whether it’s social networks on the internet, cell phones, or music devices.

In the article “Syncing Up with the iKid”, the notion of motivation is a recurring theme. In the very first paragraph we are told about a teacher who used technology to get her kids to “dive enthusiastically” into the work of Hawthorne. In addition, the article tells us that teachers are trying to figure out how to use kids’ technology tools as teaching tools. Teachers know that technology motivates students. They also know that, if students are interested, they will be more likely to pay attention to the lesson. Teaching today is more than standing in front of a classroom and giving direct instruction; teaching is also entertainment.

The use of technology allows teachers to move away from the dusty style of direct instruction. For example, the program entitled Logo allows children to “[create] their own learning environment”. By using programs such as Logo, students are directly involved with their own learning. They are not passive sponges who sit and listen to a teacher drone on. They are being entertained while they learn.

Technology also affords students to participate when they otherwise would not. For example, Hamstra allowed students to do analyses of a text on a computer screen. Students who would not voice their opinion in class are afforded the comfort of quietly giving their thoughts on a computer screen. This is an innovative way to involve students.

All of this technology is great, but there seems to be potential danger that the article does not mention. As a prospective English teacher, I can see great value in using computers to allow students to respond to texts. However, this robs students of a social education that is learned through face to face classroom discussion. One may argue that weblogs allow students to collaborate. That argument would be right; weblogs do allow students to communicate. However, will students get out of touch with reality if their only means of social communication is through a computer screen? For example, if a student writes an insulting comment on another student’s weblog, the student who wrote the comment will not see the reaction of the person whom he wrote the insulting comment about. Many instances like this may lead to certain numbness about the feelings of others. A connection to the internet may lead to a disconnect with the reality that live interaction with humans creates.

Computers afford teachers the opportunity to motivate students. At the same rate, though, computers could take away certain social skills that are necessary. The only answer seems to come from the Greeks—moderation. Computers, and interaction through them, should be used in moderation. Teachers should not force students to depend on computers for their only communication. They should use computers as a motivational tool.
[1] Richard Sagor “Lessons from Skateboarders”. Educational Leadership. 2002.