There is no doubt that iPads do provide the teacher with new and innovative ways of teaching a tired curriculum. But they should be 1 of a variety of different tools in a teacher’s arsenal. The fact that schools are making everything about the iPad is a very sad indictment on other tried and true ways to engage the learner.
As well as this, iPads may well come with some other points of concern:
Swiping a finger on an iPad is as natural to a modern preschooler as turning a page – but little research has been done on the impact of technology on children’s health.
Curtin University’s School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science wants families for a study into the effects using devices can have on children’s development and posture.
Researcher Erin Howie said many schools used iPads and parents asked Curtin for advice after some children complained of sore necks from bending over them.
The study iMove, iPlay will focus on children from birth to five to find out how often they use technology and what for.
Researchers will observe children aged three to five in a laboratory to measure their physical activity while they play.
In earlier research, the Curtin team found schoolchildren tended to hunch over more when using a tablet but also used a bigger variety of positions.
Dr Howie said it was better to use a neutral posture with neck and wrists straight.
Paul Taylor said sons Michael, 4, and Daniel, 2, were allowed to play educational games on an iPad or smartphone once or twice a week. “We’re more into getting them outside and playing and reading books,” he said.
Click on the link to read 7 Key Characteristics of a Digitally Competent Teacher
Click on the link to read The 10 Best Educational Apps for Children
Click on the link to read The Must Have iPad Apps for the Classroom
Click on the link to read Using Videogames in the Classroom
Click on the link to read Five Great Technology Tools for the English classroom
Tags: Center for Cognitive Technology, Education, Erin Howie, iMove, iPlay, News, School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Technology in the Classroom, the impact of technology on children's health.
Topical Teaching 
April 12, 2015 at 4:02 am |
Using technology from an early stage not only impairs the child’s mental development by making their retention slower but also affects the child’s social life. If a child was to be engrossed into what they were learning on the Ipad, they would never get out of their comfort zones and explore. Therefore; I believe that as much as technology motivates a student; they should have some distance from it as it can be an addiction to use these devices. Student’s should also be taught slightly traditionally, as they can then have a choice between paper and on-screen reading, rather than made to believe that on-screen reading is their only choice.
April 14, 2015 at 10:24 pm |
There is no doubt that technology has negative effects such as addiction and social isolation.