DC Into: Norms and Responsibilities

This can be a very difficult topic to address because from what I have read and seen there are no norms. Some schools have no restrictions on technology usage, some have dampners in place to block online access from cell phones, others only allow cell phone usage outside of the classroom, etc. It seems odd to me that we allow cell phone usage at all in schools. Children have become addicted to their technology. I have seen students visibly shake when I have taken their phones away from them. They are addicted. It has often made me wonder about our own responsibilities when we allow usage and feed their addiction. We would not give a heroin addict drugs but we will allow students addicted to their phones to have them.

The real question seems to be when and how is technology really needed. That should be a primary focus. Children seem to think the main purpose of technology is to be in constant and immediate contact with their friends. Receiving a text from a friend is like getting a fix from drugs. They wait and anticipate the next one and get antsy when it is not immediately forthcoming.

We also have to remember that we are dealing with children. They are ruled by emotions rather than logic. I recall one time when I gave a student a poor mark on a paper. Their response was to continually take pictures of me at my desk until they got one with my eyes closed. They then posted that I was sleeping in class. It was not true but the image made it appear otherwise.

Another major issue is an absence of responsibility. Students can post whatever they want without fear of the ramifications. They quite often post things that they would never say in person.

Lastly, there is the problem with miscommunication. We process hundreds of visual cues when we communicate. These visual cues are as important as the words themselves in understanding what is being said and what is meant by what is being said. Without those visual cues there can be massive misunderstanding. Something said in jest can easily be interpreted as being quite serious.