During my practicum last visit I asked a student what they were going to do on the weekend. This student told me that she was visiting Grouse Mountain, but did not seem very excited about it. I asked her why she doesn’t seem happy about going there when its such a great place to visit and she answered that it is too far away from her T.V. This has not been the first time I heard about the overuse of screen time in this class. At the beginning of my visits another child told me that she doesn’t want to be at school or doing work because she would prefer to be on her iPad watching videos. I strongly believe that parents should raise their children with restrictions on screen time, and encouragement of other activities, but even with the best intentions, i’m sure that this can be hard considering the prevalence of technology now a days.
I also believe it is the teachers duty to help children understand that watching T.V. is not something that they should spend most of their time doing when they get home. How can teachers do this? Its something that doesn’t take place in the classroom? Do they even have that arms reach?
Technology can take teaching places that it has never been before. Teachers can use new, fun, and exciting activities to engage students, and they can find a convenience in it too. However, the over use of technology for children, and lack of rough and tumble play can cause ADHD, lack of social skills, health issues and so much more. I can see it just becoming harder and harder for teachers and parents to find this balance. I cant imagine how technology will look like decades from now. It is a scary thought, but teachers need to get on this topic ASAP and do what they can to prevent the worst.