I really like the questions you posed in your post. Thanks for sharing! I think this is perhaps one way our reliance on technology has done us a disservice. Many events which would have once been absorbed and treasured now seem to be passively capture for later reflection.

I appreciate your analogy of scuba diving vs jet skiing in graduate school! While I don’t think that’s the intended effect, I think it’s increasingly common and something we don’t talk about enough! It is hard to have confidence in your developing expertise when the demands feel unfocused and numerous!

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You bring up some really insightful points. I think a lot of meaning behind learning can be “lost in translation!” There are definitely many pros and cons to consider in this article.

I appreciate your comment! I agree, I think learning things by hand are an important part of the process. After a certain point of competency I can see integrating technology, but as many others have stated this semester- basics are important!

So many good questions! I think implementing technology at an earlier age is a great idea; however, from my own health professional bias current research on this shows that it is a causal factor in creating an obesogenic environment. Essentially, it promotes a lot of sitting and less movement. So, I think a change we need to create is ensuring it is truly interactive! I agree though, we do need to create earlier constructive exposure to technology to inspire creative change.

I agree so much with your take on “real reading.” I love to use technology for lots of reasons, but one way I will probably never adapt is to the “e-book” trend. What can I say, I like paper (books, research articles, etc.)! I think learning style is a good point. I think technology has a lot of pros when it comes to addressing/facilitating multiple learning styles! It will be interesting to see how the generation that comes after us (“modern”) uses technology in an educational setting.

Hi Karen-

I agree…it creates a little bit of each! In some regards technology has made the need for certain skill sets outdated or novel. On the other hand, we have a generation that is extremely proficient in accessing information (as you mentioned). I think seeing the fluctuation in perception toward technology and its integration into new settings will certainly be interesting (ex: self-driving car prototypes set to launch in the next couple years).

Hey Sheryl!
Thank you for your feedback! I agree that technology has the ability to diminish individual capacity to “think on your feet.” I like your Mickey’s clubhouse example (also familiar with the show!) because it does highlight a shift in thinking. While I don’t think we can generalize a generation, I think maybe we should do more to promote messages about how to use tech as a tool rather than allowing it to create a dependency. I think the “working smarter not harder” message is what many rely on when justifying the use of technology. While I agree that efficiency is important, I think sometimes we lose sight of how valuable the process of learning can be, when we focus too much on the pursuit of efficiency!

This is a great concept! I think games make learning much more fun and diverse! It would be really awesome to see more fields begin to adapt technology in game form to facilitate learning!

Hi Siddharth-

I agree- age and maturity definitely plays a role in our perspective! I think there are definitely pros and cons to drawing on the past.. as long as it’s not hindering our adaptability and creativity it can be a useful tool to embrace the future!

Re: sidenote- I remember learning to write cursive too! In many schools I know that kiddos are just learning to sign their names in cursive, but are primarily taught to print. Interesting shift!