As parents of Zuri (aka 'Bear') who is around 27 months old we have actively taken the approach of a near zero use of technology with him. We simply want him exposed to traditional forms of learning via playing with traditional toys, exploring (trees, plants, animals, eating bugs, video recorders, cables, etc) and developing his creative side. There are no TV's, iPad's, computers etc., in his life until he will be well into his two's and beyond and even then very little, limiting to educational use only. Of course, this approach will not suit everyone and we have given this a great deal of thought. He will learn to use technology very quickly anyway....kids with no knowledge of computers, internet etc., have taught themselves even in the middle of a remote village in India with little or no assistance. See video below (or link: http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_build_a_school_in_the_cloud). Is Zuri at a disadvantage with this approach?
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Are we constantly fixated with social media, (Facebook, Google+, etc), is this just something that we have to accept as part of our daily existence? Is this a passing fad? Has Facebook had its time?* Are we finally getting fed up of having to feel that we need to keep all of these up-to-date and do we really need to know what happens to our so called 'friends'? Just a few of the questions that are bugging me. Are we simply just too overloaded with tech?? http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120703-tackling-technology-overload (Prof Turkle argues that the social media we encounter on a daily basis are making us emotionally lazy and insensitive to fellow human beings). After reading this and watching the video above, have a think about it and some of the questions below to help you with your response. What are your thoughts about our fixation with social media? What do you use, why do you use it, how often do you use it? Do you use it too much or too little? Do you approach your 'friends' differently using social media? How do your parents approach social media with you, do they restrict you in any way, why might they set boundaries? Is social media making us lazy, are we losing our ability to interact with each other personally? (*Facebook: According to GlobalWebIndex Q4 2012, it suggests that local social media sites are in decline and Facebook may have gotten over its 'fatigue', while Google+ is now the 2nd largest social platform) |
AuthorMr Esmail, Head of Technology...I often have plenty on my mind, so here you go. Comment away! ArchivesCategories |