The next time someone shares with you another piece of shock journalism with claims that research says if kids use tech they'll get fat and stupid, arm yourself with this piece (10 Points Where the Research Behind Banning Handheld Devices for Children Is Flawed) which debunks that research. If you don't feel like reading it, it says this: The research cited against technology use for youth focuses on passive television viewing or addiction to video games that are usually of violent nature.
Of course video game addiction and passively intaking information for hours on end is bad for anyone. In those cases the problem is usually not the technology, but rather the lack of a responsible adult guiding these young people.
However, when young people have responsible parents and teachers in their lives, this does not describe what most young people do with technology. When responsible adults are involved in and understand the digital lives of young people, great things happen. Below is an arsenal of material that explains how today's youth are using technology effectively. Pick a few of your favorites. Then share, and shift the conversation from lamenting about "kids today" to celebrating the wonderful things young people are doing when given proper support and access technology.
Barshay, J. (2013, January 18). School social media: New york city looking to bring networking, technology into the classroom .
Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/18/school-social-media-new-y_n_2506285.html
BBC News Magazine. (2010, August 21). US Teen Invents Advanced Cancer Test Using Google
Retrieved from www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU09NationalFindingsStudents&Parents.pdf
Bulkan Joshua. (2012, November 29) Middle School Students Using Smart Phones, More Interested in STEM.
Retrieved from
http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/11/29/report-middle-school-students-using-smartphones-more-interested-in-stem.aspx
Davis, V (2014, June 22). 10 Ways Social Media Can Improve Writing in Your Classroom.
Retrieved from http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2014/06/10-ways-social-media-can-improve.html
Dunnewind, S. (2003, April 29). Generation text: Teens ‘IM lingo evolving into a hybrid language. Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.
Retrieved from http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030412&slug=immain12
Elder, J. (2009, October 27). Teachers putting texting to use. Charlotte Observer.
Retrieved from
www.newsobserver.com/2009/10/27/159701/teachers-putting-texting-to-use.html
Fresco, A. (2007, October 31). Texting teenagers are proving “more literate than ever before.” Times. Retrieved from www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/articles584810.ece
Koebler, J. (2011, Oct. 26) Teachers use cell phones in the Classroom. U.S.News & World Report. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2011/10/26/teachers-use-cell-phones-in-the-classroom
Malone, T., & Black, L. (2010, October 11). Cell phones increasingly a class act. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-10-11/news/ct-met-cell-phones-in-class-20101011_1_class-act-students-reporter-tara-malone
McCarroll, C. (2005, March 11). Teens ready to prove text-messaging skills can score SAT points. Christian Science Monitor.
Retrieved from www.csmonitor.com/2005/0311/p01s02-ussc.html
Miners, Z. (2009, October 29). Could texting be good for students? U.S. News.
Retrieved from www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2009/10/29
Nielsen, L. & Webb, W. (2011, November 1). Cell phones: Why not use them to teach? NY Times Schoolbook.
Retrieved from http://www.schoolbook.org/2011/11/01/cellphones-why-not-use-them-to-teach
Patty, A. (2008, August 20). Phone a friend in exams. Sydney Morning Herald.
Retrieved from www.smh.com.au/news/national/phone-a-friend-in-exams/2008/08/19/1218911717490.html
Pew Research Center, (2013, February 28). How teachers are using technology at home and in their classrooms.
Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports
/2013/PIP_TeachersandTechnologywithmethodology_PDF.pdf
Plester, B. & Wood, C. (2009). Exploring relationships between traditional and new media literacies: British preteen texters at school.
Retrieved from http://www.britac.ac.uk/news/news.cfm/newsid/14
Prensky, M (2005) What can you learn from a cell phone? Almost anything!.
Retrieved from http://www.innovateonline.info/pdf/vol1_issue5/What_Can_You_Learn_from_a_Cell_Phone__Almost_Anything!.pdf
Project Tomorrow. (2010). Creating our future: Students speak up about their vision for twenty-first century learning.
Retrieved from www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU09NationalFindingsStudents&Parents.pdf
Ritchel, M., & Stone, B. (2009, February 16). Industry makes pitch that smartphones belong in classroom. New York Times.
Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2009/02/technology/16phone.html
Shuler, C. (2009). Industry brief: Pockets of potential--using mobile technologies to promote children’s learning. Retrieved from http://joanganzcooneycenter.org/Reports-23.html
Trotter, A. (2009). Students turn on their cell phones for classroom lessons. Education Week, 26(16). 10-11.
Retrieved from www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/01/07/16cellphone.h28.html
Yarmey, K. (2011). Student information literacy in the mobile environment. Education Quarterly. Vol 34 No.1.
Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/StudentInformationLiteracyinth/225860
cross-posted at the Innovative Educator
Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen has worked for more than a decade in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, ISTE Connects, ASCD Wholechild, MindShift, Leading & Learning, The Unplugged Mom, and is the author the book Teaching Generation Text.
Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of her employer.
