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March 9, 2001/Adar 14, 5761, Vol. 53, No.23
Have children taken a 'byte' out of learning?
KIM BIGGARD
Special to Jewish News
Recently a seventh-grade language arts teacher in Chicago shared a story that struck a chord with me.
She was talking with some of her students about their homework and using the computer. One student mentioned that he uses only his computer to do his work and never writes anything on paper.
My friend decided to put her students to a test. She gave an assignment and included a rule: They could not use a computer for the assignment.
As she collected the homework the next day and read the student's work, she learned that without the magical tools of spell check and grammar correction, the assignments were filled with misspelled words, incomplete sentences and sloppy handwriting.
Today's youth are force fed computer skills. All of this technology may seem empowering, but are these pint-sized bodies ready for adult-sized learning? Have children taken the necessary steps to work up to all of this information, or are they skipping steps on the educational ladder? Too often, kids seem to know the techniques, but when tested, do not understand the concepts.
Schools across the country are slowly abolishing the classes parents grew up enjoying and needing to become healthy individuals, the classes that got us moving and prompted us to explore our creativity. The computer has come to replace one-on-one contact - gym class, art and even English class. Our kids are experiencing 31 percent fewer face-to-face interactions than did the previous generation.
The average child spends more than five hours a day in front of the computer or television. When calculated, that is an average of one third of their lives, or 23 years and two months. These two technological phenomenons may be great "babysitters," but they may not be promoting the kind of healthy lifestyle and educational success we imagine. Studies today show this generation of youth is more stressed, more obese and more isolated - mostly from sitting in front of a screen and snacking.
Although we want our children to be bright, well educated and successful, in today's "Information Age," it is vitally important to remember to teach your kids the most important piece of information of all - that no tool can replace human experience. Although the computer can connect them to a friend through instant messaging, the computer cannot teach your child how to care, how to hug or how to be a friend.
And even though a computer can correct the mechanics of spelling, math or grammar, it cannot ensure your child understands the process. Encourage your children to stay connected at school, to take a class that will test their creativity and to find a teacher who will inspire and challenge them. Finally, you might want to remind them of all the fun they can have playing a game - especially when the opponent is human.
Kim Biggard is the director of youth and camping services at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale.
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