Opposing+Technology

Opposition to New Technologies in the Classroom

 It is now clear to all that today we are living in a world that is dominated by technology, and that technology is expanding exponentially. It is also without question that as teachers in this modern world we do have a requirement to prepare these children to go beyond our school walls and comfortably integrate into this technological society. But does this necessarily require technology to be rolled out in all aspects of the curriculum in schools and do we as modern teachers need to incorporate this technology into our everyday pedagogical practices? Are children between school and home having too much face time with technology, and as a result is their personal health and real relationships with others suffering because of this?

 In many situations where technology is being introduced to the education system it seems redundant and to make little impact on everyday teaching. In a study conducted by Gary Beauchamp and Steve Kennewell on //The Influence of ICT on the interactivity of teaching// (2008) they created a situation where several pairings of teachers conducted lessons in the same discipline, one using ICT and the other not. The initial results that were seen by this study showed ‘no significant difference in the key comparisons between ICT and non-ICT settings.’ (Beauchamp, p. 308) In their study they also refer to the observation of ‘ICT-based quizzes’ (Beauchamp, p. 309) where students are able to remotely answer a multiple choice question with anonymity. They are able to point out that this task could have just have easily been conducted with the use of ‘mini-whiteboards’ provided to each child. Given that in many situations where technology is implemented like this there is a non-ICT solution that is in most scenarios cheaper. Why should we endeavour with the technology option (that are also prone to breakdowns and slow load times that disrupt the lesson) when the funding could be perhaps better utilised elsewhere.

 Another great concern of having too much technology in our schools is the possible health effects it may have on our children, and this is something that child welfare groups take very seriously. The Alliance for Childhood (AFC) believe some of the risks to our children from overexposure to technology are ‘repetitive stress injuries, eyestrain, obesity, social isolation, and, for some, long-term damage to physical, emotional, or intellectual development.’ (AFC, 2000) All of these possibilities need to be considered very seriously, as they can potentially be detrimental problems that seriously affect the lives of children through to adulthood. For this reason the AFC believes that rather than technology a focus should be placed on ‘time for active, physical play; hands-on lessons of all kinds, especially in the arts; and direct experience of the natural world.’ This is ‘essential for healthy child development.’

  Given these concerns and the earlier information regarding the lack of impact many technologies have on teaching practices, there is good reason to consider diverting certain technology funding to other areas of the curriculum that are equally deserving of the attention.

 These many issues regarding technologies in schools cannot be taken lightly and simply disregarded, as there are many stakeholders who take an interest in them. The parents and teachers alike should hold great concern of both the health and education of their children and where the money is being invested in school. Also as these children will grow up to be future of this changing world all of us in society are stakeholders in their education.

 If you want to know more about hands on programs in schools here are some useful sites

 Alliance for Children  Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation  Australian Health Promoting Schools Association