The I Generation-From Toddlers to Teenagers: A Conversation With Jane M. Healy

In this article the author, Carol Tell, has a conversation with Jane M. Healy about the use of computer technologies for educational purposes. Jane Healy has been an educator for the past 20 years, and at the forefront of computer technology's integration into classrooms in public schools nation wide. Healy describes her original stance on computer technologies in classrooms and says that 20 years ago she was a big proponent of computer technologies in the classroom. Today she thinks much differently though. Healy argues that the push for increasing use of computer technology is a bad thing, and that educators need to be wary of relying too heavily on computer technology. Computers will never be able to replace the educational weight of good teaching or the dynamic relationship between the teacher and their students. To assume that computers can replace a teacher, which is a view that has been more widely adopted in recent years, shows just how little our culture knows about the learning process for young children. Healy does agree that computer technologies can supplement teaching if applied in the right ways, and can be used collaboratively with teaching practices to enhance learning. The view that young students should dictate their own educational experiences is a dangerous one though, and Healy argues that young children are not in a position to decide what is and isn't important to learn. The effects of increasing use of computers, especially with young children, are yet to be seen. Healy is sure that high use of computer technologies is a bad thing for many young and developing children. These early years are critical for developing social skills, language, reasoning, problem solving, and children's attention span; and relying too heavily on computers means that there are less opportunities for children to develop these skills in real life contexts. Healy believes that there may be health and psychological effects from using computers too much at a young age; such as carpal tunnel, depression, lethargy, trouble with interpersonal relationships, shortened attention span, and vision problems. Another big question that Healy brings up, is how can the information that students are learning through the use of a computer be applied to a broader context? Many times the students is reliant on the computer and the program they are using in order to demonstrate the skills they have learned, thus if you take the computer away, what has the student learned that they can do without the computer? We should ask the question, who is really doing the thinking, the student or the software programmer? When students complete a task with power point, they have not really done much work or learned very much. The ease of use with the program and the results of a high quality presentation make teachers think the student has learned much more than they actually have. The last point that Healy makes, is that we as educators are instilling values into our students when we have them rely so heavily on computers. What will the values be of these children around education and learning experiences? What will they think is critical thinking? What will they think social interaction is? What will they think being thoughtful is? What will think being human is? These are questions that teachers need to ask, and educators must be critical of technology and the consequences of relying too heavily on computers.

Reflection:
I think I already voiced a somewhat similar point of view in my response to the Resnick article. There are many things that I think Healy is correct to be wary of. I really agree that it's dangerous to think that computer technologies could replace the interactions between the students and the teacher. Social skills, language, attention span, and reasoning are things that can only be effectively taught through teacher and peer to peer interaction in my opinion. A computer is not a good medium for teaching these things, especially with young children. I also think that we are teaching our students to rely too heavily on computer technology. I won't argue that this is not the way our culture functions now, I am aware that in our modern world we are highly dependent on advanced computer technology. Not educating children about how to effectively use this technology does them a disservice in their education, because they will need to know these things in their adult life if they're to be successful. However, I think that shifting the focus of teaching away from social interactions and the development of skills that are independent from using a computer is something that educators and parents should be cautious of. I don't like to cite my personal experiences too much, but I have met countless young adults and children who it seems have missed out on a lot of real life educational opportunities because of TV, video games, computers, and the internet. These individuals definitely struggle with interpersonal interactions, and I would argue that they have shorter attention spans and lower motivation to work at something for longer than it takes to receive instant gratification. I can't say my experiences prove anything, but I know many people have had encounters with individuals with similar problems. It doesn't mean that computer technologies cannot be used to enhance educational opportunities, and I would be a hypocrite if I said I did not like the convenience computers have afforded me. I just don't think young children should be so heavily exposed to them though; I am adamant that educators and parents should be engaging these children in real life activities that build essential lifelong skills.