Week 5 PBS Frontline

Your thoughts on multitasking.  Do you agree?  Can you multitask?  Do you disagree with the video on the topic of multitasking? What do you think our students think about multitasking today?I think multitasking can be a positive and negative thing. It has to be used in the right context. Of course the greatest example of how it is a risk right now is texting and driving. It is so easy to pick up the phone, send a quick text or read one and lose control of your vehicle because in a split second something on the road changed. I try to keep my phone in my purse while I am driving but since my music is linked up to my phone and so is my GPS I am constantly using it during my trips. Now in some states they banned texting and driving but is changing the music on your phone or entering an address into your phone's GPS any less distracting? How can we decipher which technology to limit? Now when it comes to other things in life and multitasking I guess the situation differs for everyone. I hate when I am out to dinner with friends and I look up and everyone at the table is on their phones. I think this is a tragedy. 

 I believe there is a time and place for multitasking. For example, watching tv and checking out a sporting event score on your phone is fine but if you are out to dinner with someone or spending time with another human your focus should be on that person and not your phone. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule. If you are out to dinner with your spouse and the babysitter texts because the baby is sick, for example, is one reason technology has been beneficial and in that case I do not think multitasking is harmful

I think students today don't understand any other way than multitasking. They have been brought up around parents that are always on the go. I see students in my preschool classroom in dramatic play holding a cell phone on their shoulder talking and "cooking" dinner at our pretend stove. Children copy what they see. I can go back to being at a restaurant and being on the phone. So many parents bring their iPhones or tablets to restaurants to entertain their children. This blows my mind! I was never given anything other than crayons and a piece of paper as a child. Why can children no longer be satisfied with that? I'm sure if I have my own children there will be times when I want to have some peace and quiet so I give them my phone or whatever technology is relevant at the time but to do it all the time and for the whole meal just baffles me. 
 
Is there an addiction happening in society today with technology or is it just a new way of living?   Should we be concerned?
This brings me to believe that we as a nation are now so addicted to technology that we may not even recognize it. I know I am, unfortunately. If I do not have my phone on me I feel lost. We use our phones for EVERYTHING, checking the time, the weather and even music. I would definitely say we are becoming addicted to technology. I think we need to find a happy medium between how much technology we do and do not use. I understand we all need it in some way but to be glued to your phone all the time just seems crazy to me. 
 
Do video games serve a purpose in education or are they a waste of time?
As for in the classroom, I believe technology can be very beneficial. We use it for lesson plans, to interact with parents and to engage students in a unit. I think using technology as an educational tool is great. I do not think video games have a place in the classroom. I guess if they are teacher picked and have a clear educational goal they can be fine for fillers or rewards but then where do we draw the line? Can children bring in their own games if they are educational? Will children be rushing to finish their work so they can play on the computer? I think the classroom is where we should be limiting some of the technology the children can use since most of the time they are most likely stuck to a TV or computer all night at their homes. 
 
How did what you watched in the two videos support your feelings about technology or how did it change your views?
I think watching the videos may have further supported my feelings about technology and children. It has, to an extent, gotten so crazy and out of hand with some children that it has become very unsafe. Children are going to rehab to learn how to play again because they are so addicted to technology that they do not know how to go outside and play. I find this very sad and disturbing. I think technology is great in certain aspects but I believe we also use it as a crutch. Parents give their children an iPhone or iPad at dinner to keep them quiet, which if the situation is out of control I understand but children should, in general, be able to sit at a table and eat a meal without technology. So, after looking back at the videos they basically have not changed how I feel about technology. 
 

Are kids and adults today ruining their digital footprints by sharing too much information online without realizing that it may be detrimental to their future? Should they care?  Are they focused on too much of what others think?
I think children today might be ruining their digital footprint by going online at such an early age but I don't really know how that is avoidable unfortunately. This is how children are growing up and by 12 kids have a Facebook account where they can post anything they want. I think as educators we need to inform them of their rights and responsibilities as a digital citizen. We need to make them aware of their digital footprint and that even if they click "delete" whatever they wanted deleted is not gone forever, it's out there in cyberspace just floating around. They should care that what they are posting can be harmful to others or themselves but I feel as though a lot of children are unaware that their actions, even if they are supposedly anonymous online, can still come back and hurt someone. I feel this really resonates with cyber bullying nowadays.  Children feel as if because what they say is anonymous it doesn't matter and that they can say whatever they want. Parents need to monitor their children better when they are on the computers to help avoid this.

 What do you feel are the dangers of technology use?  Are there any?
 I think there is a huge danger with technology if it is not used appropriately. It starts with children not being monitored or educated adequately like I previously mentioned. Some other dangers that I believe are relevant include fraud, such as identity and credit card. If someone is purchasing something online they are at risk of getting their credit card number or even their identity stolen if the website is not credible. 

In the first video there was a teacher who said that technology has become more like oxygen for children. He said you wouldn't want to take a child's oxygen away. So what should we do? Give them something they understand and teach in a way that will most benefit the students.