features
As technology continues to
progress in leaps and bounds, will
there be any aspect of the curriculum
left untouched? Schools are quick to
point out that personal interaction is
still hugely important in developing
children, especially at the beginning
of their school careers. Jon Keelty,
Head of English Primary at GSIS, says
the early years of learning rely very
heavily on person-to-person interaction,
especially in the affective domains. “If
children lose personal connections with
adults and peers due to the increase
in online interaction, there would be
clear consequences in their adult lives,”
he says. “We advocate a balanced
approach that avoids an ‘always-on’
mentality to technology use. Clear
policies and procedures, as well as
a robust education programme that
addresses the social, inter-personal
and emotional challenges of technology
dependence are important to prepare
for any issues”. Nord Anglia says it
is cautious about the appropriate
amount of screen time for each age
group, and has chosen to minimise
it for very young children (aged three
to five years), giving them plenty
of opportunities to interact without
technology. As a computing teacher,
Darren Sutton says he is keen to use
technology whenever possible, but still
spends a considerable amount of time
in class working away from it. “There
is no better tool for brainstorming,
feedback and peer evaluation than pen
and paper, or speaking directly with
a friend or partner,” he says. “These
interpersonal and team work skills
are crucial for pupils if they are to be
successful in later life, and are skills
we spend time developing through our
project based and enquiry projects”.
As unease grows about the
amount of time our children spend
on screens and social media –
Facebook’s new Messenger App for
Kids is the latest product to prompt
widespread concern – educators
have an increasingly important role
to play in teaching this vital balance,
while providing pupils with the tools
and confidence to protect themselves
online. Every reputable school will have
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