Autocorrecting Humanity

There is an expectation that my job as in integrationist is to advocate for innovative uses of technology. My job description requires it.  However, there are some times when we should scale it back. Use a pencil and paper. Turn and discuss with your shoulder buddy face to face rather than use an online chat room. Although such places are used to accommodate reluctant speakers in a blended learning environment, are we merely enabling poor social skills?

Earlier this week, a colleague brought his class to the fishbowl for a lesson I would lead on Green screen technology for a project. The lesson went well. I met with the teacher before hand to understand their objectives and created resources for him and his students to implement this technology in a way that it supported his instructional goals.

It was what happened before the lesson that made an impression. The students filed in one at a time, sluggishly, sat down and without talking to me or to one another. (In their defense, they are teenagers) To break the awkward silence, I showed them the above video as a warm up and heard the following:

"But I couldn't put down my device, I need it".
"Why?"
"I couldn't live without it".

For all the solutions that technology give us, it's ironic that we can so connected, yet so alone.