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Learning in a Digital World
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What does learning about the digital world look like in your class? In your school?
Why does it matter?
This past week, there have been many articles shared that advocate for, and explain the reasons behind, taking time to rethink the importance of how we prepare our students for the digital world.
In many jurisdictions, student mental health and well-being is a priority. But do we have a clear understanding of the connections between life online and mental health? And what is the plan to ensure our children lead healthy lives in times when they meet friends online more than in person?
From the Atlantic article, "Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?" we read statements like "Social-networking sites like Facebook promise to connect us to friends. But the portrait of iGen teens emerging from the data is one of a lonely, dislocated generation. Teens who visit social-networking sites every day but see their friends in person less frequently are the most likely to agree with the statements “A lot of times I feel lonely,” “I often feel left out of things,” and “I often wish I had more good friends.” Teens’ feelings of loneliness spiked in 2013 and have remained high since." Correlations between rising rates of depression and screen time are shared in the article.
So why don't we just tell kids to get off their phones?
Actually, we do, all the time, but it's much more complex than that. Tech companies use manipulative tricks to hold our attention and keep us on our phone. This has been well-documented by Tristan Harris in his TED talk, released this week, and in his interview with Wired Magazine. I've added a summary and further resources here.
But it isn't just social media. AI and automation are transforming our economy, and women are most at risk of displacement.
Coding lessons once a year might make us feel better, but there is so much more to be done in this rapidly changing economy. Understanding Digital Life Skills needs to be a priority for our children and educators.
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Resource of Note - This week, Pasi Sahlberg shared a link to the Alberta Teachers' Association Magazine that is full of quality content around assessment. Check it out here.
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