In a time when the practical skills in children are increasingly underdeveloped with traditional milestones being replaced by digital ones we as educators feel coerced to keep up with the development of digital language and media. Teachers who have been teaching for years are being told they need to catch-up with their students who have all but become one with their Smartphones and laptops. Smartboards and classroom wifi appear to be mission critical, while classic technology gets thrown out with yesterday’s newspaper.
Unfortunately, it appears that this is the language our students will be speaking: “seven out of ten two to five year olds are happy playing on-line games compared to just 11 per cent who were capable of tying their shoelaces.”[1] And although dominating at W.O.W. demonstrates some level of fine motor skill development it should be concerning that a basic task like tying ones shoes has been overlooked by parents today. In the same article quoted here, it is expressed that children are losing out on social and physical well-being because parents are using the computer screen as a babysitter to entertain their children while they get things done around the house. Further stressing this point, less than two in ten of the children surveyed could swim unaided while 23 per cent of children between two and five were able to use a cell phone. Moreover, “less than half knew their own home address and only a third were able to write their first and last names.” [2]
These are the children that we will see in our classrooms, practically born with Smartphones in hand and headphones in their ears. They’re familiarity with technology will undoubtedly surprise us as we fumble our way through whatever is the greatest and latest. However, how much responsibility is on us to keep up with technology? Should we all begin to anticipate the day when we will simply have to download our lesson plans to a student’s chip that has been embedded in their brain?
Technology ties shoes - it's called velcro. Part of the problem, I think, is that for a lot of parents "go play outside' isn't the option that it used to be. Too much to be afraid of, I guess.
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