Week - 4- PBS Frontline - The World We Live In

Questions for Thought:


1.  Compare and Contrast each documentary.  What has changed from the first one (Growing Up Online) made in 2008 to the newer one (Digital Nation) filmed in 2010 ?  How did what you watched in the two videos support your feelings about technology or how did it change your views?

The effects which the digital world is having on today’s youth, and our current world has not only started to sink in, but has started to change the way human interactions occur, and how effective learning happens.  Within each documentary, it seems to be very clear that technology and the evolution of technology within society is something that is here to stay, and instead of fighting it, and feeling discouraged because students seem to be distracted more easily, we need to embrace these changes to the advantage of educators.    The main similarities between Growing upOnline and Digital Nation (link) is evolution.  This evolution is biological, societal, educational and technological.  Some would argue that it is not a progression forward, but a de-evolution backwards, and with that bleak outlook taking center stage, the feeling of misunderstanding, and fear of the unknown is truly at the epicenter.

For instance, Growing Up Online centered around how technology is effecting students, teachers and parents, when it aired in 2008.  It was hard not to notice that so many teachers and parents were holding on extremely tight, because they wanted to keep control of a changing landscape.  The only way they knew how to get past the fear of the changes were to monitor every second of their child’s time online.  As a result, the kids rebelled by basically proving that they knew more about that world, and then their parents did.  Evan Skinner, the mother who was head of the PTA for Chatham High School seemed almost extreme in her stance.  It was if she was living in so much fear, but trying to stay strong and keep that persona, that she has just become a sort of digital hypochondriac.  She did not seem to realize that teachers like Steve Maher were figuring out that technology can be successful and engaging, when it is used on the student’s level.

Digital Nation seemed to cover more of a broad spectrum.  It quickly looked at Chatham High School, but it really focused on the ever changing world, influenced by the digitization of society.  Multitasking seems to be an illusion that so many of us think that we are great at.  However, it is still hard to believe the Stanford studies, from the success of “wired-in” students at MIT.  The presence of balance is still the biggest goal, which both of these documentaries outlined.  The gaming addicted individuals in Korea is just one end of that balance spectrum.  Maybe the middle is somewhere around the school that was opened, that involves a game based curriculum.  The fact of the matter is, the leading industry today is computer science, and the developing digital world is at the for front.  Quite literally, our job as educators is to prepare our students for digital citizenship more and more.  As children grow up, already wired-in, we will not be able to ignore this, and Darwinism will once again reign supreme.

2.  Your thoughts on multitasking.  Do you agree?  Can you multitask?  Do you disagree with the video on the topic of multitasking?

The idea of multitasking sounds nice, and useful.  However, it really seems to just be an illusion.  I feel like I know lots of people who seem to be capable of multitasking, but when you really analyze how they multitask, the specific tasks that they are doing could be accomplished with better quality, if they were focused on just one task at a time.  With the development of technology, and the status of feeling wired-in to the world around us, it is hard to discount multitasking.  It feels as though there may be a shift occurring, and if the brain is not showing signs of multitasking being strength, then overtime it will.  With each generation from here on, it may seem to shift to more of a reality.  It will be interesting to follow the studies as time goes on.

3.  Is there an addiction happening in society today with technology or is it just a new way of living?   Should we be concerned?

           

Addiction seems to be a strong word, and often has a negative connotation.  I would describe it more as a growing dependency.  Society is growing more and more dependent with technology, and in turn, this dependency is changing the way we live.  At some point a wrench needs to be thrown into the gears.  We need to step back, and take an inventory of what we need, and what we do not need.  Technology has been a saving grace in so many ways, but it has also been a burden, and if we cannot find that balance, that will be the time when there should exist a heightened concern with the dependency for “instant gratification”.  We still have time, but it feels like we are getting closer and closer to a point of no return.

4.  Do video games serve a purpose in education or are they a waste of time?

            

Video games serve a great purpose in education.  They are especially useful with today’s youth.  I am not saying all video games are great teaching tools, but the interaction and stimulation between students and games have shown to serve students and their core skills very well.  In one portion of Digital Nation, it was stated that today’s youth spends 50 hours per week with digital media.  If 30 of those 50 hours could be spent with disguised educational digital media, then it would be very interesting to see what their test scores would look like.

5.  Do you believe that digital tools such as google tools can save schools that are struggling?

           

I do believe that digital tools, which may include Google tools, can and will save struggling schools.  However, they will only accomplish this job with educators and administrators who believe in and are well versed in using said tools.  Within both documentaries, I saw teachers using smart boards, digital worlds, as well as many other technological advancement to stimulate their students.  This willingness to live on the frontline of the new frontier will save education.

6.  Do parents of today have any idea what their kids are doing online?  Whose job is it to teach them the safety and digital responsibility? Parents/Teachers/Community/Government??

           

I believe that parents today have a much better idea of what their kids are doing online, then four or five years ago.  There is a shift occurring, and that shift involves parents who may not be natives to this digital world we live in, but they are not total aliens either.  They have grown up around the technological advancements that kids today take for granted.  I feel as though Evan Skinner was a representative for that last group of parents who are still trying to hold on, even though they know that they can learn from their kids.  There was a great point made by a student in that documentary.  They basically said that they have grown up within this digital world.  They know the safety involved.  If they see a screen name they do not recognize, or someone they do not know who is asking to be their friend, they stay away.  It is almost like growing up with parents that speak a foreign language.  You are going to be speaking that language when you utter your first word.  I think parents and teachers should reinforce this “street knowledge” that these children already pick up, without being overbearing.  The community and the government will not be a factor.

7.  Are kids and adults today ruining their digital footprints by sharing too much information online without realizing that it may be detrimental to their future? Should they care?

I think too much information is being shared, but at the same time, kids and adults are discovering a new, digital identity.  It is almost like they are so excited about finding out who they truly are that they just want to share it with everyone, disregarding the consequences along the way.  It seems to be getting better now, then how it was before, when Facebook forst came out, and employers were going onto people’s pages left and right.  I honestly think, in general, the overall sharing to the masses is becoming departmentalized and strategic.  For instance, you may post your band to Youtube, and start a Facebook page.  You would want exposure in that instance, but if you are looking to become a partner at a prestigious law firm, and your best friend took a picture of you doing a keg stand, then I think today, that person knows enough to have their Facebook page locked down.  There has been a huge shift in awareness of what you allow people to see and not see within the past 4 years.

8.  "Stranger Danger" and predator fears are often overblown by the media on shows such as Datelines "To Catch a Predator".  What are the real dangers of technology in this day and age?

 The real dangers today seem to be identity theft for adults, and bullying for children.  In general, kids today seem to have their wits about them when they are navigating the digital world.  They have to worry more about discovering that if you have the dependency to be wired-in every second, even when you feel safe at home, home may not always be your safe haven.  The bullying will still persist, and it may take a lot of courage and discipline to tune it out.  As Growing Up Online pointed out, it really is a problem, and continues to be one.

 Concerning adults, the need to have passwords and computers locked down, is a growing concern more and more.  It seems as though there have been numerous occurrences of bank account breaches, and vital information getting into the wrong hands.  This is a danger that will need to see an evolution on how to fight it.