Jesse Miller came and shared his Mediated Reality presentation with the class today and it was incredibly fascinating and educational!

It was really interesting hearing about the various byproducts of the things we do online, like how the information from responding to a CAPTCHA will be used to help AI collect information for self-driving cars, or the various advertising uses of our social media posts and images, to name a few.

Through discussing “Bait-Click” headlines in regards to technology use, such as “Why social media is not smart for middle school kids” and “a philosophy professor argues kids should use more technology, not less” we were reminded of the importance of checking the studies behind these articles to get full and accurate information. For example, in the second headline above, the professor was discussing the various ways families could use technology to build connections with one another, not that children should play video games 8 hours a day.

Talking about the shifting societal changes and behaviours and how to navigate certain tricky situations was really interesting (and anxiety-inducing) as well. There are so many challenges around the appropriate boundaries concerning social media use inside and outside of the classroom. A good point was that if the classroom is an engaging place to be, there will be less issues with cell phone use most likely. One’s private life is not really private and it is important to keep in mind one’s role as an educator in all aspect of their life. As well, making sure you have all your bases covered and are keeping in mind the policies and expectations of yourself in your role as an educator at all levels is crucial so that the public, parents, staff, and students are all happy.

Also important, is respecting children who have interests in technology-related activities outside of the  classroom. We talked about how society has changed so that now gaming is a huge culture, E Sports is a way children can be involved in teamwork and critical thinking and can lead to future careers and monetary rewards. A child’s wish to be a You-tuber is not just a fanciful dream, but a real possibility. Educators need to think about their preconceived notions surrounding technology and acknowledge the pitfalls and take precautions, but also think about all the beneficial and relevant ways children are using technology today and how we can be a part of this dialogue.

 

A quote from Jesse’s slides that I will leave you with:

“We shape our tools and thereafter, our tools shape us.” – John Culkin