For my second blog post this week I decided to do an interview style podcast. I have two guests: My first guest, Jodi, is a mom of 4 kids. We … Continue readingConversations about Life – My Podcast Discussing the Impact of Social Media
Continue readingDoes Educational Technology Really Enhance Literature Learning?
This debate made me rethink a fundamental question that has long troubled me throughout my career in education: Does implementing technology enhance educational opportunities for literature learners, or does it merely provide faster access to information? As a literature teacher, I can’t stress enough how significant this argument has been for me since I know that learning literature cannot be counted by its effectiveness. The debate made me rethink a more interesting question: where do we benefit from technology when…
Continue readingPreparing Children for the Digital World
It was an exciting and inspiring debate that continually sparked new ideas. In this debate, both teams offered impressive arguments. The supporters raised concerns about addiction, bullying, inappropriate content, social comparison, and the loss of personal face-to-face communication and outdoor experiences. Actually, we didn’t contest these arguments. What we did was challenge the word “ruining” and explain that the impact of social networks depends on the child, the platform used, the type of content, the environment, and the presence or…
Continue readingThe Lion, the Witch and the… Technology?
I have been all over the map with this argument. When the class was asked to vote before the debate began, I was one of the last people to vote because I was so undecided. I ultimately believe that technology enhances learning, but I fear the implications for communities that lack access to it. Globally […]
Continue readingToo True to Ignore… Too Absolute to Accept.
“It is true that social media has changed childhood, but change is not the same as ruin” – Riley Sharp The debate statement seemed simple “Social Media is ruining childhood”. … Continue readingToo True to Ignore… Too Absolute to Accept.
Continue readingBreaking the Good Faith (Or Why Only Silly Little Geese Disagree With Me)
The two debates this week were both important to our current moment in Educational Technology and well argued by both sides. I felt they answered our questions and defended their positions in interesting and respectful ways. As I read through their assigned reading, however, I found myself wishing some of these authors shared my classmates’ … Continue reading Breaking the Good Faith (Or Why Only Silly Little Geese Disagree With Me)
Continue readingOnly the Sith Deal in Absolutes: Has Social Media Ruined Childhood?
I did not expect a debate about childhood to involve steroids, alcohol prohibition, TikTok dances, online third spaces, acceptable-use policies, and Star Wars. Yet, somehow, all of them entered the conversation. The pre and post scores were interesting too, with 78% initially agreeing with the titular statement and then only a minority, about 40%, atContinue reading “Only the Sith Deal in Absolutes: Has Social Media Ruined Childhood?”
Continue readingWhat Three Decades in Education Taught Me About Social Media and Our Students
Now in my third decade of education, I have watched the landscape of student development shift dramatically under the weight of technology. It began for me not with algorithms, but with texting. Long before the morning bell rang for first … Continue reading
Continue readingFrom Hide-and-Seek to Endless Scroll!
When I first saw the debate topic, “Is social media ruining childhood?”, my immediate response was, “Yes.” As someone who shies away from some social media platforms myself, I have always been cautious about their influence and addictive nature on … Continue reading
Continue readingSometimes Tech is Profound and Sometimes It Fails Us…
In preparing for this week’s debate and meeting with my team members, we were especially drawn towards the word “enhance” in our debate topic. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, enhance means “to increase or improve in value, quality, desirability, or … Continue reading
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