From the Principal
Bill Gates contends that technology is just a tool and believes in terms of getting the students working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important. While I agree with Mr Gates’ contention, several studies have reviewed the impact of technological distractions on academic learning. In Facebook and texting made me do it: Media-induced task-switching while studying, Rosen et al, 2012, it was noted that electronic communication may be emotionally rewarding, but extensive research studies show that it makes learning new information almost impossible. Researchers conducted a 2013 observational study of some 263 middle school, high school and university students studying at home for 15 minutes. Their research revealed that persistent multitaskers switched tasks on average every six minutes and tended to have a lower Grade Point Average than those that were able to focus on one thing.
Further, the questionnaire was able to assess study strategies, task-switching preference, technology attitudes, media usage, monthly texting and phone usage, social networking use and grade point average (GPA). Attitudes showed that those who preferred to task-switch had more disrupting technologies available and were more likely to be off-task than others. Interestingly, students who accessed Facebook had lower GPAs than those who avoided it, while those who used an extensive array of study strategies were more likely to stay on-task than other students. Even though this research is now a decade old, with Instagram replacing the popularity of Facebook, I believe the impact has not changed from that time.
Research suggests that the educational implications include teaching students metacognitive strategies regarding the instance of interruptions impacting negatively on learning. Further, students should be allowed short “technology breaks” to reduce distractions was another recommendation put forward by the studies. Much advice is given about the need for students to make good decisions about the use of the technology that fills their lives. In digital life, anything said or posted can live on indefinitely and create undesired consequences. Research released by Pew (2013) suggests that about three-quarters of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who are online have a social networking profile on a site such as Facebook or Instagram.
Common Sense Media suggest the following parent tips to help children successfully navigate the world of media and technology:
- Teach children the skills they need to use technology wisely and well. It’s hard to be a gatekeeper in a world with no fences. Parents have little control over the flow of information to their children. Parents no longer hear conversations or see what their children create and share with others. Since we cannot cover their eyes, or shadow them everywhere they go, we need to teach them how to behave responsibly in the digital world.
- Keep an open mind. We see the world differently to the way our children do. It’s important for us to understand that our children will spend much of their lives in a connected world, where everyone creates and communicates. About 3 out of 4 teens engage in some type of content creation, such as blogging, (Pew, 2013).
- Don’t be afraid. Our children adopt technologies faster than we do. This changes the parent-child relationship, so that our children now show us how to do something online, if it is something we don’t already know.
- Share wisdom. Sometimes, our children often don’t understand the implications of their actions. So we need to extend our basic parenting wisdom to the digital world. We teach children to choose their words carefully, play nicely with others and respect their teachers. Now we have to extend those lessons to a vast, invisible world.
- Pass along your values. One of the most important jobs of parenting is instilling in your children the values you cherish. In a digital world where actions are often separated from consequences, where individuals can be anonymous, and where they aren’t face to face with the people they communicate with, they may lose their way. As parents, we have to be able to translate our values into the digital world and help children understand the implications of their actions.
School Policy about Technology Use
We have specific requirements applying to the acceptable use of the School’s ICT resources and the following policies apply to all users of Technology at Somerville House. Additionally, I have included other policies that relate to this area:
Mobile and Personal Electronic Devices Policy
Justin Coulson is offering a free Facebook Live event on suicidal ideation, where he explains Why it's on the rise in kids and teens, how parents are making it worse, and what to say and do instead.
I suggest all parents listen in at 8.00pm Wednesday 29 March. Registrations aren't necessary, but If you would like email reminders, you can sign up using this link.
Mrs Kim Kiepe
Principal
References:
Lenhart, A., Madden, M., Smith, A., and MacGill, A. (2007) Teens Creating Content. Teens and Social Media. Pew Research Centre: Internet, Science & Tech (2013) Social Networking Fact Sheet http://www.pewinternet.org/fac...
Rosen, L.D, Carrier, L.M., and Cheever, N. (2012) Facebook and texting made me do it: Media-induced task-switching while studying. Retrieved from: http://www.csudh.edu/psych/Fac...