Blog Post #1

Why Twitter and Facebook Are Not Good Instructional Tools

By Paul Barnwell

Full Article found here:

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/05/30/fp_barnwell.html

 “A recent report by the Economic & Social Research Council refutes the notion that today’s youth, the "net generation," is truly tech savvy. After interviewing and collecting data from 2000 first-year college students in Britain, researchers found that only 21.5 percent of students had blogged, and only 12.1 percent of students had used wikis. Too few students are familiar or engaged with these sorts of technologies that are structured to promote academic rigor; instead, they opt to use Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr, most often as distractions from their studies rather than learning tools.

I've come to agree wholeheartedly with the study's findings. Do many students you interact with know how to do much more than Tweet, post to Facebook, or browse YouTube? Email is antiquated to students; after all, many kids are so used to fragmenting their thoughts that writing a substantial email is drudgery. Twitter is all the rage for teenagers and is a constant source and depository of mindless banter and instant gratification. Being tech savvy should include the ability to synthesize ideas and media forms, and create something original. So how can we promote more thoughtful use of technology in schools?”

My response:

I agree with what you said about students depending on technology that cheapens thinking or relies on flashy graphics.  While our students do seem to be more tech savvy, it calls into question just how savvy they are with technologies that are actual learning tools.  Teachers are feeling the pressure to be innovative in teaching with technology but the fact is that many teachers don’t have the proper training to effectively use and teach with technology beyond the “distractions.”  You question how to promote more thoughtful use of technology in schools and I think it needs to start with properly training teachers to use technology as a source of enrichment and critical thinking in our students.