Temple University professor, Renee Hobbs, wrote in yesterday’s Philadelphia Daily News:
Although children and young people are using digital media, they are neither smarter nor digitally literate just because they use computer technology.
As the Duke study showed, computers are used primarily as an entertainment device unless a parent cultivates an active, learning-oriented approach to it.
So let's not confuse just owning technology with having the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to be successful in the 21st century.
This story caught my eye because I came to the same conclusion in a story I wrote in Issue 41 of the Chester Spotlight called ‘Why Johnny Can’t Do Research’. Click the link below to read my article.
Why Johnny Can't Do Research
Stefan Roots - October 9, 2009
We’ve all seen the ‘Why Johnny Can’t Read’ references but I’d like to bring your attention to a disturbing issue of young folks having no skills on how to find anything on the Internet.
Adults are often impressed at the things young people can do on the Internet. But, like a television set, if you give someone the right channel, they’ll always find what they’re looking for.
Young folks enjoy the Internet primarily for social networking and music and they’ve either memorized the website addresses or have them locked in the computer for easy access. Social networking sites often provide links to other sites which can be saved if you want to visit them again. That is the beauty of computing when you use your PC as an entertainment device.
But when it comes to using the computer as a tool for learning or research, I’ve found that most young people have had very little experience mastering research skills. These skills can greatly assist them with school projects, learning new stuff, general knowledge, or job hunting.
A kid can go to BET.com and watch videos all day but when I asked a young person to find the top 10 selling rap albums this week, I was shocked when they came back to me saying that they couldn’t find it on the Internet. They had no idea how to query a search engine to get the results.
This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed how little most kids know about finding information online and it’s rather disturbing when you consider how much more valuable the Internet is for research than it is for entertainment.
I know the schools are full of computers but in addition to learning how to write a letter or create a presentation, Johnny needs to know how to use a search engine.
A fun scavenger hunt on Goggle could go a long way to introducing youngsters to the computer as a learning tool and not just a jukebox.
What troubles me is that all the hype about the benefits of social media seem to ignore this importsant point.
ReplyDeleteSome part of it is due to the use of the cell phone, which is all entertainment, all the time.
Teachers' mistaken beliefs that kids are computer savvy let's them off the hook. We need a lot more creative strategies that can address this issue. Stephan, I hope you'll come to our next Powerful Voices for Kids conference!