I just found this and it is pretty interesting. Take a moment and digest this. (You might need to go to the link to see it better).
It shows how distracting technology is and at the top of the pyramid, is "Device Failure" while "Any kind of actual work" lays at the bottom of the pyramid. It is evident, at least in my life, that if any physical technology I own breaks down, I devote all my time to fixing it and this problem becomes most important to me. Now thinking about my problems with technology made me reflect on the numerous classrooms I have entered and the teacher had to postpone or delay a lesson because he could not get the technology to work correctly. Introducing so much technology in the classroom is bound to cause more delays if people misuse them or it just simply does not work.
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/the-hierarchy-of-digital-distractions/
Ariel, I’d thank you for sharing this very interesting graphic with the class. It is a very effective way of seeing all of the potential distractions brought upon by social media and the intricacies that lie within them. As one can see there are many variables that can contribute to the distraction of a student, or of anyone else for that matter. Additionally, the bottom tier of the pyramid is labeled “any kind of actual work” implying that any given person would rather succumb to the many, many, many listed distractions before completing something that must get done. I fear that our future students may fall victim to all of the outside entertainment that is available to them. Therefore, I feel that it will be our duty to ensure that that does not happen and that our students will be able to balance their time in a beneficial manner. We must provide them with assignments that will challenge them enough so they will not have too much leisure time but assignments that they will also be able to complete.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly right, Sara. I hate always bad talking technology, but we can all see it is a distraction through personal experiences and the stories of others. It is hard to avoid using any kind of technology in the classrooms.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I particularly like the top of the pyramid that was labeled "Device Failure." We have so many devices (really expensive devices) and if anything goes wrong, the world gets put to a stop. Nothing is more important than fixing the technology problem. I find myself doing that way too often. I spent four hours on the phone trying to fix my cellphone instead of studying for finals last semester and that was only one of the many frequent device failure issue.
Ariel, thanks for sharing this! We all know the frustration that descends on us when our favorite device isn't working or the internet is down. I've seen it happen in the classroom as you have, and it is disappointing. We rely heavily on our technologies. I think that we need to remember that technological devices are mechanical, man-made things, and they will fail us on occasion. We'll have to be ready to adapt in the face of emergency and be able to find a way to carry on our lessons without it, at least until the error is fixed!
ReplyDeleteAriel, this post makes so much sense. I fully appreciate what is at the tip top of the pyramid. It is unfortunate that this is true, when people have trouble with their devices they don't just move on. They spend every waking moment trying to bring back was had made them sane. If my cell phone dies and I am not near a charger, I feel like a piece of me is missing. There is so much that I feel like I am missing out on. A big part is the security that my phone gives me. When I was a freshman in college I received a text message from a friend at 2am. It read, "can't breath". I have not run down ten flights of stairs faster than that day. I ran to her room and luckily for me and her she was not unconscious. I called for an ambulance and she ended up just fine. If it weren't for my phone, who knows what could have happened.
ReplyDeleteBelow device failure appears to be an almost endless list of internet procrastination sites. At the very bottom is actual work, which unfortunately is true for most of us. Great post!
Ariel, so how many technological devices in the classroom would be considered excessive? How would you strike a balance?
ReplyDeleteHello Kevin,
ReplyDeleteIt would not be easy to strike a balance and limit the amount and usage of technology in a classroom. It definitely depends on the grade level where we want to introduce the technology. If the students are younger, I think there must be a major emphasis on personal creativity that is brought from hands on work just as art, reading books, stories. Children in young grades, yes they can get creativity from the internet and fun games, but it is not needed. We also do not want to get them hooked. In my ideal classroom for mathematics, I would use a simple projector and I will encourage the usage of the computer to further the students' knowledge. The internet, when provided the right resources, can help open the minds of students who are of a higher grade level and challenge them to know more about how we build systems (systems meaning the applications of mathematics and how we can construct from them) rather than just how we use them.