gen y and tech
I can't understand why the phones are part of everyday life. Everywhere I go signs tell put phone away or turn off for service. I think it makes us forget how to think. Just pull out the old phone and get an instant answer.
Frank,
I think this is part of the problem, I also think we have come to expect that instant answer or feel guilty if we don't instantly answer someone else. We seem to have lost the patience it takes to wait for a response & I think we also associate our own self-image with whether or not someone responds or "likes" something from us quickly.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Frank: if you were younger than you are, you wouldn't have posed that thought. This Gen Y native was born with a phone, probably got their 1st one when they were 6 yrs. old. It is common to see people walking, texting are then falling into fountains and the like. I understand why they are there, but the limits to their use can't be open for debate. They need to stay connected at all costs. I too have issues when they pull out their cells, attempt to hide them and then argue with us the validity of it's use when in lecture. This is just not a battle that we can win. Let's try to turn this into a positive thing, and try to come up with a way to take advantage of their constant texting. The virtual text reads "hey...what up?' So much for english!
Dave I have to disagree on this its not a battle its teaching our students what is appropriate and what is not in terms of the use of the cell phone use. As it has been shown that there are great things that can be done with phones there are also some not so great things such as falling into fountains or getting fired from your job or failing the class. It should be up for debate so that they understand what is appropriate and what is not and there may be a cost to being connected all the time.
John,
you make a good point here that should be considered. Part of our role in preparing students for careers is to also help them learn professionalism & this can apply to many areas, including proper use of technology.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have to agree with John. We're training them to conduct themselves appropriately in the "real world". Can you imagine how long one of our students would last in business if they spent most of the time in a sales meeting on Facebook?
I agree with you. Phones are a distraction in all situations other than their intended need. This distraction is most evident in texting while driving, which has become a concern of epic proportion.
The biggest struggle is to determine just how much we should let them use them and how much to incorporate them into the learning experience.
Brian,
agreed that this is a fine line & also that there are those who will abuse the privilege no matter what.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am now thinking back 20 years ago...I left home in the morning after saying good bye to my wife and returned when my shift at work was over. The only time I talked to any family or friends was if there was an emergency. Fast forward 20 years and just as it has been said, my wife is texting me constantly throughout the day and gets upset when it takes two hours for me to respond! She is NOT a GEN Y'er!!!
Roy,
yes, this is a great example of how most of us have fallen prey to the technology. And so, this is true even more so for a generation that was raised with it.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The problem is the distraction phones can create in the classroom. I dont care if your a dinosaur or a gen Yer when you are distracted you arent recieving the information you need. They may feel the need to be fully connected every minute of everyday thats fine however theres a point in time when you are here to work and in a training institution mirroring what they are going to have to do in the field is important. Getting them to realize that connectivity has its place and time.
Everyone has good points on the cell phone situation. They are powerful tools. They can take photos, record audio and video, access the web and email, thus provide plenty of distraction in a classroom environment.
Most advanced training I've attended stated, Cell phones turned off and put away or simply NO CELL PHONES.
Stan's comment about texting while driving is an excellent point too. We are simply not capable of giving our full attention to two forms of media at the same time.
Could the cell phone be integrated into our training? Possibly, but currently we have school standards that state cell phones should be turned off and put away.
We instructors at this time are obligated to uphold the school's standards, but I could see, if properly managed, the cell phone could possibly provide a more stimulated environment for the student.
My other concern is that some students have more resources than others, and allowing the use of a cell phone could cause a cell phone envy environment.
David,
you make some excellent points here & not the least of which is the distraction element. Research continues to show that multi-tasking is a myth. This generation is more "comfortable" with the concept, but that does not mean it's an effective way of learning.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree. They're distracting. At first, I just chalked it all up to a personal decision, and let students fall behind if they couldn't be bothered to pay attention. But more recently, I've started weighing in how much the phones distract other students. I've found the best approach is to be a bit Draconian with my no cell phone poilicy for the first few days of class. They eventually take the hint.
Frank I have two Gen Y students at home who are now in college and they are consistently texting(that word is not even in this dictionary)each other at home from room to room and Ive asked them if this is a common practice at school and how they feel about it, their answer is that if the class is boring then they resort to texting as a form of communication and entertainment. They do not use it to cheat or cause disturbance, but as an educator it is very frustrating and disrespectful to see someone not giving 100% while in class, These are the ones who consistently hold up the progress of the rest of the class because they have not been paying attention to the material that is given out as they are constantly on their phones.
