Critical thinking is a skill that we try to develop at our school. This week’s article looks at the negative effects that technology has had on critical thinking. You may find some surprising findings as you read. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that shows you have read the article, expresses your views, and addresses my questions.
The article states that reading for pleasure has declined in young people. How much do you read for pleasure? How would you answer the questions from the article, “How much should schools use new media, versus older techniques such as reading and classroom discussion?”? In addition to the use of PowerPoint presentations, what should teachers do to increase using visual media to test students? What should schools do to encourage students to read for pleasure? What should parents do? Do you know people who play violent media games? Do they show any of the effects mentioned in the article? What surprised you most about the article?
Critical Thinking Article
9 comments:
Personally, I read a lot for pleasure. I find it very enjoyable. I think that a balance is needed between technology and older methods of teaching so that the students get the most out of their education. Besides PowerPoint Presentations, teachers should also use videos that are enjoyable as well as educational. Classrooms should set aside reading times to encourage students to read for pleasure and allow them to choose books that they will enjoy, without having the pressure of being graded. Parents should be the greatest advocates for reading and should read to their children from an early age so that they are able to continue to read themselves. Yes I know people who play violent media games but I’m not aware of any one of them performing surgery or operating an aircraft. What surprised me the most in the article was that some teachers are depending solely on PowerPoint presentations for educating their students.
I remember not only reading but enjoying many different books a few years ago right before i went to bed but in my opinion, reading for pleasure has declined because school already requires us to read enough in class. I think that older techniques should be generally used over new media in techniques of teaching. Teachers should also consider showing movies on the topic that they are researching on in class as it will greatly help some students understand the topic better. I think that schools should require reading logs for certain classes such as English for elementary and middle school. When it comes to high school, students do not really feel the need to read for pleasure but in the eyes of the general student body, it is seen as more of a requirement to read the material. I admit myself to playing violent video games, yet i do not feel as if it has had such effects on me as i realize that it is just a video games. I have heard that playing video games will increase the player's hand-eye coordination and that makes sense to me. This article did not seem surprising to me at all as i have heard most of these statements a lot.
I rarely ever read for pleasure. When a book of a series that I follow is released, I will read it, but that isn't often. Most books I read are ones assigned to me in my English classes. I do read articles, blogs, etc... but I don't read anything of considerable length for pleasure.
I think "new media" should be used as much as older techniques. As Greenfield said, they both have benefits that are worthwhile, and not all of them can be gathered unless both old and new methods are used.
Outside of PowerPoints, teachers could utilize online programs and activities to further incorporate media-related learning. For example: in a Biology class, an online program that has you virtually construct DNA could be used to test students.
To encourage students to read for pleasure, schools should organize some kind of "Recommendation" board in their libraries to suggest novels to their students. They could also require students to read at least 1 book every semester and turn in an essay or report on it to their English/writing teacher.
Yes I do. Pretty much all my male friends do, and I do as well. I spend a good 2 hours every day playing Call of Duty, which is most likely the most bloody video game on the market.
My friends can occasionally be aggressive, but not in a fashion that would suggest they were heavily influenced by violent games. Personally, I am not. I have been playing video games since the age of 4, and nearly every video game I have played since then has been too mature for me in some way (usually because of its violence). But, I am not at all an aggressive person. I do have great hand-eye coordination and am very good with handling things with my hands though.
I was most surprised that the article mentioned negative effects of media, but focused on video games rather than movies. Movies have influenced negative behavior in me more than anything and I have grown up loving shooting/action games and explicit Rap music. Not mentioning movies in a discussion about media's downsides just doesn't make sense.
I go through periods when I read a lot for pleasure and when I don't. When I was younger I did read more, but that was because I had more time to read. Now my ENTIRE day consists of school and school-related things, so I don't have as much time... which is a shame, because I love to read.
For me, I'm a visual learner... I learn really well when I'm shown pictures and videos (or other media) to better my understanding. But then again, I enjoy discussion-- a great discussion is better than looking at a powerpoint because it keeps me engaged and sometimes works better than visuals. But another important factor is what class a teacher is using what materials for. I don't really see a discussion working extremely well in an Algebra class (not that it can't happen). However, visuals are fit for all classes because a visual is universal and diverse.
PowerPoints are a bore to me. Most of the time, they aren't used correctly and just make me read off the screen instead of listening to the teacher. I much prefer videos or diagrams or simulations (labs, interactive activities; both in person or with technology) that REINFORCE the learning, not actually teach.
It's hard as student reach high school to encourage reading outside of school for two big reasons. 1. They just don't have enough time or energy because they are doing work for school (or other school activities) and 2. It wasn't encouraged when they were young, so they don't think of it as important when they are older. So, if schools are looking to encourage reading they should either cut back on homework time (unlikely) or start from the beginning.
Parents! Parents are a big influence, partly why I love to read is because my mom read tons of books to me and because she reads for pleasure still and often we read the same books. But it also helps that my mom and I like the same genres!
I know a ton of people who play violent video games. Though I don't play the really violent ones (or many games at all)... I've played some where violence is involved. But honestly, I don't see games having an influence unless the person is playing for 3-days straight... and I don't really know anyone like that... Videos games can be beneficial, like the article said: helping with hand-eye coordination and maneuvering controls without looking at your hands. But I agree with Jared in the sense that there are other types of violent media that effect people much worse than video games. Movies and TV shows, news photos, whatever, they all add to the stereotype that media is a cause of violence in young people.
I never knew that people who played video games actually performed laparoscopic surgery better than those who don't-- who knew that video games (not a brand new technology) could increase performance in new technology!
Technology plays many roles in our life. There are technologies everywhere, even in schools. Also in my school, teachers use technology to give education to students. They make some powerpoints to explain some things to us, they show some movie clips to explain us what to do, and they put assignments and some tutorials using technologies. I think those are good to use it, but we get to stuck on some other materials when we use computers. I always get bothered by facebook and some messangers, I actually do different stuffs instead of using those to study. I think this situation is same with other people also, because usually people do those stuffs first, as soon as they turn on their computers. The use of technology for education is a good idea, but I don't think it is also good for the stories and some learning materials. I have some classes actually only work with the computers. I get really boring because we just have to look at the screen and listen. Those stuff always make me go to sleep. I think actually reading is better even though I hate reading, becuase I think I actually learn more from reading actually than just listening and looking. I think people think in the same way with me.
I used to read a lot for pleasure, but recently I have slowly stopped. I think that in our new age of technology, schools should try harder to increase the use of new media. Mostly because in this new age you are expected and need to know how to use a computer. For tests and things teachers should use things like video clips or learning games. I think to encourage students to read for pleasure schools should allow students to read any kind of books. Parents should also encourage their children to read what they want. I know many people who play violent games, I being one of them. But violent games I have found do not increase violence at all. The only way you'll be violent from playing a game if you lose a lot and your short tempered. Nothing really surprised me, I can already see that people are lacking in imagination.
I see where the thought is coming from. I even felt myself reading less and less for pleasure, turning more and more to the internet and video games. Yes, its sad that people are starting to lose interest in the original methods of studying and passing their time but I believe that there are good results that comes with the losses of old. For example the writer states that there has been substantial improvement in multitasking by the people who have played realistic games. Becoming better predictors in surgury and leads to higher success rates. This shows how the "new" method of entertaining oneself is in someways more fullfilling
Personally, I don't read very much. If I read a book and get into it, I will read it and won't put it down, but I don't get into books that easily unless it's really good. I think that if we start to use the internet often than discussing the topic I think we would become very distracted. Students would probably check their emails or go to a chat or something that will distract them from working. I also think that talking about the topic helps us students to understand what we're talking about more clearly. I think that they should either make a power presentation to test them or to make the students make a presentation and the teacher just grade their effort and information they give for the power presentation. I think that the teachers should make the students read in class for 15-20 minutes before starting class, let them read a book they want and so they will become interested in reading. I think that parents should encourage their children to read books. I don't know any of my friends or people who play violent video games. Because I don't know anyone who plays violent video games, I have realized that people who DO play, are very into it. That's all they ever talk about, or if they do play that's how they react. They constantly are "pretending" to shoot people. I wasn't really suprised. I mean I have heard about this stuff before and I've seen a few people react the way they have seen things.
I read for pleasure as a maximum of half the time I'm on the computer.
Schools should use emphasized powerpoint presentations to present to the students & vice versa, & also elimenate the fact of intervening with notes & get a duplicate of the powerpoint presentation on the internet, like what Mrs. Greer does.
Teachers should show students the art of internet programs, such as math on the internet.
Teachers should reveal to the students the truth of the goodness in pleasure reading.
Parents may tell their children earlier than teachers the truth of the goodness in pleasure reading, but they should also learn off from their parents, when the kids watch them read for pleasure.
I know a lot of people who play violent video games, but they show absolutely nearly no effect on them.
What surprised me the most is that if I played the game 'Prototype' on PS3 for endless hours, I could stop believing what scientists say about multitasking, & start believing what new researches say.
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