Students spend more time in front of the computer screens than they do interacting with peers and teachers. According to Marcia Tate, more learning time is wasted by having students sit entirely too much! Technology also affects how children communicate outside of the classroom… Ex. Two boys went out to eat with Dad…Both boys were listening to their IPODs while Dad was reading the newspaper. Not a word was spoken for an hour! They are not forced to communicate verbally which allows some children to become withdrawn and anti-social.
Students slip through the cracks…They either understand the meaning behind the lesson or they fall behind. Many children MASK their interest and comprehension while others are able to keep up. Interest levels vary among children just like their attention spans! Technology and software require time and effort to master! This can be an impediment for students that need to master skills that are necessary to work and function with the new technology.
There is not enough research on technology and the effectiveness on children to determine that it should be the center of classroom instruction!
Chatrooms, Instant Messenger, MySpace websites etc. all allow children to become victims of sexual assault. Children are growing up sooner than later! Children see celebrities and icons and want to be just like them!
Children are not forced to learn material because they don’t have to! Technology-calculators, spell check etc. save them! They don’t really have to think!