http://www.forkparty.com/17565/could-you-survive-without-ever-leaving-the-house-infographic
Monday, November 18, 2013
Social Automation/Lack of personal interaction
Last week I observed for the first time at the school that I'm going to teach my two lessons at. I heard a lot of things throughout the day, but one thing really stuck in my head. A teacher told me that if she had any advice for me, it would to get involved with online teaching. She believed that future generations would be educated online with online teachers, reducing the classroom aspect. I started to think about this and it started to worry me. As a teacher, I want to speak to students and interact with them on a personal level, not through a computer. I do believe that year after year, there will be more computer based instruction, but it would be a shame to automate the educational process. Today, there are Self Check Out lanes, automated ATMs, online shopping, etc. I feel like there is less and less human interaction, texting has resulted in people not liking to speak on the phone, all of this can have a negative effect on speech ability and interaction. I worry that fifty years from now, there won't be any reason to leave the house. You can wake up, go to school/work on the computer, order food/groceries on the computer, text your friends and maybe video chat, do some online banking and then watch T.V to finish up your day. People won't see the sun for weeks, we will speak no more than ten words per day "through video chat", and yeah, that's it, eventually only text will be used, resulting in future people not having vocal cords and being completely incapable of speaking....just kidding, I hope. If this is our future, well, I don't know how pleasant it will be. I'm obviously being extreme, but it's heading that way for sure, a person can honestly and realistically live completely at home without the need to go outside. Anything can be delivered, bought, or requested online. I hope that when I get a job as a teacher, that I will have actual, physical students. The link I included is a great infographic. Enjoy, and if you want to try something fun, try not to text your friends for a couple days, instead, call them whenever you need to talk...
http://www.forkparty.com/17565/could-you-survive-without-ever-leaving-the-house-infographic
http://www.forkparty.com/17565/could-you-survive-without-ever-leaving-the-house-infographic
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I will admit that, many times, I too find myself worrying about the increasing dependence on computers, devices, and the like in people's social lives. I can picture a dystopian world like you illustrate, where leaving your house is rarer and rarer, and with the NSA tracking our every move on these devices, are we becoming real-life Truman Shows? The connection between these kinds of thoughts and teaching in general leaves me with a few concerns. First, contemporary students contend with so much more avenues of social life than I remember doing when I was in high school. Sure, I had AOL instant messenger and got a Facebook at some point (since deleted), but the amount of cyber-bullying, social tension, and judgment that goes on in social media circles is just insane now. As teachers, I think we have to be mindful of this sort of thing and keep an ear out for kids who are suffering from things like this. This is one of the reasons why I've made posts on my blog in the recent past about how teachers need to think about using technology frivolously, and make sure that use is relevant and necessary to the topic.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this post and I think it has some major relevance to the students we will be teaching. This also has implications for our future jobs. If technology has its way, there will be more and more distance put between student and teacher and that is not good. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I there are certain things about the modern world that I hate (or love to hate). I like having groceries and packages delivered to my door, but when I can I love shopping in a real store. I mostly dislike talking on a phone, but I always have. I used to hate texting, but eventually I was strong-armed into it by various friends and have grown to like it in comparison to making calls. I have a facebook account, but I use it mostly for messaging, rarely post, and have not friended anyway I don't know. I met my current boyfriend online, but couldn't stand the experience of online "dating" (the additional weirdness is that he goes to RIC too, but I hadn't seen him on campus before). I think a world that incorporates technology so intrinsically into our lives requires balance. Holding onto the old while taking the best of the new.
ReplyDeleteThe statistics in your link really supported the sobering idea behind the growing disconnections between people. I also can not image how effective teaching can take place in a world where personal connections are minimized or eliminated altogether. One of the themes this semester has been the importance of getting to know our students, personally as well as academically. Understanding what our students need to grow and to be successful learners is such a crucial part of our roles as educators. In a world were face-to-face interactions and communication is steadily becoming less the norm, how can we as educators provide the individualized learning experiences that so many of our students need? Don't get me wrong, there are benefits to online learning, especially in higher education. However, I can't envision the benefits of an online high school-level education, nor do I feel that the majority of high school-age students have the capacity to self teach without the proper teacher and peer-supports. Also, I truly feel that schooling is not just a place for academics but also for social growth and interaction; a place to learn how to interact with one's peers, to learn the role of authority figures, to understand the importance of rules and routines, and to learn to work as team player. Online interactions, including online education, eliminate so many of these important life lessons. While I do believe that the use of technology in education provides students with 21st century knowledge and skills, I will be cautious (as Dale states) to use it only when it is appropriate and/ or necessary to enhance my students' educational experiences.
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