My son is in third grade. Since the beginning of this year it has already happened three times that a teacher gave exercises to do at home by opening a link on YouTube or pages to read by indicating the link to open. I don’t agree with this methodology which requires using the phone/tableI would like to discuss with the teacher, also based on what I have read in her two books in recent days Training for life and Exit that room. Do you have any suggestions for me to deal with the situation? Am I wrong to go against the educational principles of my child’s school?
Katie
– Dear Katia, in my experience I am realizing that in recent years Parents’ awareness of the impact that digital has on their children’s lives has been increasing and today, compared to past years, the faction of adults who desire it is much larger slow down the entry of electronic devices into the lives of minors.
Just that sometimes the school seems to be going against it. Many teachers still think that homework and lessons they should also have one digital component and provide links, video and navigation proposals that would require the use of digital tools for teaching purposes.
It just so happens that already in elementary school, but even more so in lower secondary school, many families find themselves obliged to provide a child with a smartphone or tablet to carry them out. This happens despite much of the research revealing that the availability of digital tools does not promote better learning and correlates with worse achievement ratings.
Therefore question this modus operandi of the school and raise the issue in the next class meeting, being careful not to appear oppositional towards the teacher, but simply interested in checking whether she really believes that the smartphone is necessary and above all is truly an ally of good learning in primary school.
I advise all teachers who read this column and have to carry out teaching activities that involve the use of electronic devices to carry them out in class, together with the teacher. While at home, even more so if in primary school, no activity should involve the use of digital tools. Such conditions would actually allow parents who want to delay their children’s ownership of a smartphone not to feel under siege and out of place when the school makes demands that would instead require their use.
