{"id":1175,"date":"2020-11-02T17:47:48","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T17:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/?p=1175"},"modified":"2024-12-04T16:38:37","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T16:38:37","slug":"screen-time-creators-vs-consumers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/2020\/11\/02\/screen-time-creators-vs-consumers\/","title":{"rendered":"Screen Time – Consumers Vs Creators"},"content":{"rendered":"

At some point in the last ten years, the number of devices on planet earth surpasse<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0the number of people<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>This exponential rise in\u00a0<\/span>devices<\/span>\u00a0has<\/span>\u00a0brought with it<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>an\u00a0<\/span>increased awareness of\u00a0<\/span>how t<\/span>echnology<\/span>\u00a0affects our world, our\u00a0<\/span>society<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>our brain.\u00a0<\/span>Concerns around\u00a0<\/span>these complex issues are commonly\u00a0<\/span>addressed<\/span>\u00a0by reference to one simple\u00a0<\/span>phrase:<\/span>\u00a0screen time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our developing awareness of the importance of screen time and how it can affect our lives is best\u00a0<\/span>evidenced<\/span>\u00a0by the fact<\/span>\u00a0that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I now have an app on my phone called \u2018Screen Time<\/span>\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0This app allows me\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0view w<\/span>eekly reports<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>access<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>pp<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>l<\/span>imits<\/span>; restrict content and\u00a0<\/span>analyse<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>my own\u00a0<\/span>usag<\/span>e<\/span>.<\/span> These features can help me to manage my screen time and make sure I am using technology responsibly. There is a clear irony here of course. <\/span>Relying on\u00a0<\/span>technology<\/span>\u00a0to solve\u00a0<\/span>the problem of using too much technology is a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>bit like when Homer Simpson\u00a0<\/span>described<\/span>\u00a0alcohol as<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cthe cause of and solution to<\/span>\u00a0all of life\u2019s problems<\/span>\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0But this\u00a0<\/span>does illustrate\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>crucial point\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>screen time will never just be one thing. There<\/span>\u00a0can be<\/span>\u00a0pros and cons<\/span>\u00a0to technology<\/span>. If used irresponsibly it will create<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>problem<\/span>s<\/span>;\u00a0<\/span>when used constructively it can be the\u00a0<\/span>solution<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As educators\u00a0<\/span>we are always mindful of getting the balance right for our learners. We try to offer variety\u00a0<\/span>in lessons to\u00a0<\/span>maximise<\/span>\u00a0engagement and are mindful of the health and wellbeing of young people\u00a0<\/span>in all that we do.<\/span>\u00a0We are experts in making decisions about how best to deliver learning<\/span>\u00a0amid a myriad of options. Increasingly we will have to consider\u00a0<\/span>the role digital tools can play in our teaching.\u00a0<\/span>Reading is an important activity that\u00a0<\/span>takes place in all classrooms. Personally,\u00a0<\/span>I love the sensory experience of\u00a0<\/span>reading a paper book<\/span>\u00a0b<\/span>ut there is also a lot to be said for being able to touch a word and have it read aloud or check the dictionary definition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nobody is\u00a0<\/span>suggesting<\/span>\u00a0all learning should take place on a screen<\/span>\u00a0but where there are clear educational advantages then\u00a0<\/span>let\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0not hesitate to embrace them.<\/span>\u00a0And\u00a0<\/span>l<\/span>et’s<\/span>\u00a0make sure that when\u00a0<\/span>we do<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>decide t<\/span>o support learning with\u00a0<\/span>digital technology, we make it the best experience possible for our young people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0always believed the tasks we set to help young\u00a0<\/span>people<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>consolidate<\/span>\u00a0or show their learning are more<\/span>\u00a0important than the mode in which they are\u00a0<\/span>completed<\/span>. A bad task using\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>pen and paper\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0suddenly become great because\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0done on a screen<\/span>\u00a0instead<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0If I\u00a0<\/span>give a student a pen and paper and ask them to write one word over and over until the page is full<\/span>\u00a0t<\/span>here would clearly be no learning benefit to this activity.<\/span>\u00a0It is mindless repetition.\u00a0<\/span>However, if I ask them to\u00a0<\/span>write<\/span>\u00a0a story or diary entry then I encourage imagination,\u00a0<\/span>creativity<\/span>\u00a0and self-expression.<\/span>\u00a0The task is more important than the medium.\u00a0<\/span>The same\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0true of screen-based activities.<\/span>\u00a0We are either asking students to mindlessly consume screen-based content or we are engaging them in something more meani<\/span>ngful<\/span>. Access to digital technology opens up the types of tasks that we can set and increases opportunities to include collaboration, creativity and real-world engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

When considering the question \u201cIs s<\/span>creen time bad for children?<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>need to\u00a0<\/span>analyse<\/span>\u00a0whether we are\u00a0<\/span>ask<\/span>ing students to be consumers or creators.<\/span>\u00a0The main fears\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0heard around students using devices in school are about time spent\u00a0watching\u00a0<\/span>vacuous<\/span>\u00a0YouTube videos, playing mind-numbing\u00a0flash\u00a0<\/span>games<\/span>\u00a0and accessing harmful content online. These are of course legitimate concerns,\u00a0and they all relate to students as consumers of content.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Instead,<\/span>\u00a0w<\/span>hy not<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>give young people the skills to make their own YouTube videos and code their own games from a device which has internet safety filters while teaching them best practice for staying safe online.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Modern devices<\/span>\u00a0allow us to walk around with\u00a0<\/span>so many amazing tools in our pocket:\u00a0<\/span>a word processor,\u00a0<\/span>graphic<\/span>s package,\u00a0<\/span>video-editing suite and recording studio<\/span>. And\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>hat\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>before you add internet access.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>We might as well teach people how to use these tools as t<\/span>he<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>opportunities\u00a0<\/span>to be creative<\/span>, collaborative\u00a0<\/span>and engage in critical thinking\u00a0<\/span>ha<\/span>ve<\/span>\u00a0never been greater.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Far from being a vehicle that encourages\u00a0<\/span>a passive, detached response we should be seeing students make their own films, write their own songs, create animations<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>posters<\/span>\u00a0and graphics,\u00a0<\/span>write stories<\/span>\u00a0and comics<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>ake photos<\/span>\u00a0and code their own apps. They should be creators.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the rise of devices i<\/span>n the modern world it is inevitable that our s<\/span>tudents are going to spend time on screens. <\/span>It is important that we\u00a0<\/span>make that time as productive as possible.<\/span>\u00a0If we give young\u00a0<\/span>people<\/span>\u00a0the chance to be creators in school then they\u00a0<\/span>are more likely<\/span>\u00a0to spend<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>time as creators in their leisure time \u2013 thus re<\/span>ducing time spent as consumers<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Hopefully, the phrase \u2018screen time\u2019 becomes less of a\u00a0<\/span>negative<\/span>\u00a0term as we move forward and embrace the benefits of what digital technology can do for learning and teaching.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At some point in the last ten years, the number of devices on planet earth surpassed\u00a0the number of people.\u00a0This exponential rise in\u00a0devices\u00a0has\u00a0brought with it\u00a0an\u00a0increased awareness of\u00a0how technology\u00a0affects our world, our\u00a0society\u00a0and\u00a0our brain.\u00a0Concerns around\u00a0these complex issues are commonly\u00a0addressed\u00a0by reference to one simple\u00a0phrase:\u00a0screen time.\u00a0 Our developing awareness of the importance of screen time and how it can affect …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10414,"featured_media":2694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,10],"tags":[19],"class_list":["post-1175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-edcuators","category-guides","tag-creativity"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/public\/connectedfalkirk\/uploads\/sites\/2984\/2023\/05\/04163057\/5.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10414"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1175"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1634,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1175\/revisions\/1634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fa\/connectedfalkirk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}