Dr Robert Sylwester, an emeritus professor of education at the University of Oregon was interviewed by Henryk Marcinkiewicz, the founding director of the Center for Teaching, Learning,& Faculty Development at Ferris State University in Michigan. This conversation was recording under the title “The Brain, Technology, and Education: An Interview with Robert Sylwester", The Technology Source, November/December 2003. In this interview, Sylwester explains how brain, technology and education are interconnected.
In answer to the first question,”How are the brain and technology related?”, he explains that technology can be considered as another layer of brain lying outside our bodies. Human beings have overcome their physical, mental and sensory limitations with the technology.
He further helps us in understanding the growth of brain during first 20 years by dividing them into periods of approximately 10 years each. If we observe the educational system, we can see that preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, high school and initial college systems are woven around the developmental sequence suggested by Dr Sylwester.
Dr. Sylwester asserts that in order to master a technology, the immature brain has to master the basic skills. He further clarifies his statement with an example of riding a tricycle during the first few years of life and later, bike and skateboard use give the teenagers an idea about how to deal with wheeled objects. This prepares them to obtain their first motor vehicle license by the age of sixteen.
Dr. Sylwester claims that Internet itself is a giant video game, so children have to get the hang of video games in early life to do well with internet in later years. Dr. Sylwester clearly mentions,” It is important for parents and schools to consider screening software, but perhaps it is more important for them to spend a lot of time with young folks during their formative computer years to help them develop an internal judgment of what's useful and appropriate on the Internet”.
I generally find mothers and fathers in India saying,”My son is in his room, doing somethingon his computer. I don’t know what! I have a very little idea about computer and internet”. The educators and parents have to look into what are the children are doing with internet, computer or the phones. If you don’t know, learn it. As Dr. Gary Small, a neuroscientist and professor at UCLA, who spoke at the Learning & the Brain Conference points out that, “The technology train has left. You have to deal with it, understand it, and get some perspective.”
Additionally, technology has brought some concerns and issues such as privacy, intellectual ownership, censorship, funding, cyber-crime and safety. Thus, it becomes absolutely important to keep a close watch on how is technology being used by kids around you.
Additionally, the role of parents, caregivers and educators in the process of technology-mediated learning is very crucial, Dr. Sylwester says. He emphasizes that rather adults telling children how to use the latest technology, they should adopt the apprenticeship (an informal relationship of doing something while the apprentice observes) collaboration. Learners gain quickly while watching parents and educators performing a task. For example, in olden days there weren’t any colleges or schools for car repair or car body works. An automotive mechanic just learnt repairing through apprenticeship collaboration with an experienced mechanic. Within few years the apprentice himself would become the master. Same is the case for local tailors(although tailoring shops have disappeared because of ready-made retail stores and brand are getting foot in the door of clothing industry).
According to Dr. Sylwester, the schools and the higher educational institutions should be a platform where new technologies are introduced. But, the present day education system is not that flexible. The source of getting acquainted with new technology usually remains outside rather than from within the system.
Dr. Sylwester strongly believes the fact that young minds have immense potential and they have capabilities to bring about the technological innovations. They must be encouraged and their ideas must be respected.
I found another interesting interview of Dr. Robert Sylwester. See: http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/01/06/learning-the-brain-interview-with-robert-sylwester/
Reference:
Barseghian, Tina.(2011February 23 ).How Technology Wires the Learning Brain. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/02/how-technology-wires-the-learning-brain/
Parents have to understand the technology they are going to hand over to their kids or be very well aware of what are the kids doing. Dr. Slywester, asserts that,” It is important for parents and schools to consider screening software, but perhaps it is more important for them to spend a lot of time with young folks during their formative computer years to help them develop an internal judgment of what's useful and appropriate on the Internet”. It is not necessary that parents have to be proficient in each and everything before the kids take over. Leave mastering on kids, they’ll do it.
In answer to the first question,”How are the brain and technology related?”, he explains that technology can be considered as another layer of brain lying outside our bodies. Human beings have overcome their physical, mental and sensory limitations with the technology.
He further helps us in understanding the growth of brain during first 20 years by dividing them into periods of approximately 10 years each. If we observe the educational system, we can see that preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, high school and initial college systems are woven around the developmental sequence suggested by Dr Sylwester.
Dr. Sylwester asserts that in order to master a technology, the immature brain has to master the basic skills. He further clarifies his statement with an example of riding a tricycle during the first few years of life and later, bike and skateboard use give the teenagers an idea about how to deal with wheeled objects. This prepares them to obtain their first motor vehicle license by the age of sixteen.
Dr. Sylwester claims that Internet itself is a giant video game, so children have to get the hang of video games in early life to do well with internet in later years. Dr. Sylwester clearly mentions,” It is important for parents and schools to consider screening software, but perhaps it is more important for them to spend a lot of time with young folks during their formative computer years to help them develop an internal judgment of what's useful and appropriate on the Internet”.
I generally find mothers and fathers in India saying,”My son is in his room, doing somethingon his computer. I don’t know what! I have a very little idea about computer and internet”. The educators and parents have to look into what are the children are doing with internet, computer or the phones. If you don’t know, learn it. As Dr. Gary Small, a neuroscientist and professor at UCLA, who spoke at the Learning & the Brain Conference points out that, “The technology train has left. You have to deal with it, understand it, and get some perspective.”
Additionally, technology has brought some concerns and issues such as privacy, intellectual ownership, censorship, funding, cyber-crime and safety. Thus, it becomes absolutely important to keep a close watch on how is technology being used by kids around you.
Additionally, the role of parents, caregivers and educators in the process of technology-mediated learning is very crucial, Dr. Sylwester says. He emphasizes that rather adults telling children how to use the latest technology, they should adopt the apprenticeship (an informal relationship of doing something while the apprentice observes) collaboration. Learners gain quickly while watching parents and educators performing a task. For example, in olden days there weren’t any colleges or schools for car repair or car body works. An automotive mechanic just learnt repairing through apprenticeship collaboration with an experienced mechanic. Within few years the apprentice himself would become the master. Same is the case for local tailors(although tailoring shops have disappeared because of ready-made retail stores and brand are getting foot in the door of clothing industry).
According to Dr. Sylwester, the schools and the higher educational institutions should be a platform where new technologies are introduced. But, the present day education system is not that flexible. The source of getting acquainted with new technology usually remains outside rather than from within the system.
Dr. Sylwester strongly believes the fact that young minds have immense potential and they have capabilities to bring about the technological innovations. They must be encouraged and their ideas must be respected.
I found another interesting interview of Dr. Robert Sylwester. See: http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/01/06/learning-the-brain-interview-with-robert-sylwester/
Reference:
Barseghian, Tina.(2011February 23 ).How Technology Wires the Learning Brain. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/02/how-technology-wires-the-learning-brain/
Parents have to understand the technology they are going to hand over to their kids or be very well aware of what are the kids doing. Dr. Slywester, asserts that,” It is important for parents and schools to consider screening software, but perhaps it is more important for them to spend a lot of time with young folks during their formative computer years to help them develop an internal judgment of what's useful and appropriate on the Internet”. It is not necessary that parents have to be proficient in each and everything before the kids take over. Leave mastering on kids, they’ll do it.
If parents develop the knowledge and skills, they can be a big help for their children to navigate the internet safely, wisely, and responsibly. “ Parents often feel unprepared when it comes to helping their children manage their online lives,” said Jane Tallim, Co-Executive Director of MNet. Thus, the problems related to technological advancements such as privacy, intellectual ownership, censorship, cyber bullying, funding and pornography can easily be solved with little parental involvement and participation.
I remember, one of my friends son was pretending to do something on his laptop. When mom asked him, what was he doing, his reply was, ”Nothing honey, just updated my facebook status.” I can’t forget these words. This clearly shows that parents and children are in a subtle apprentice collaboration since beginning .
Reference:
" Raising a Digital Generation: Media Awareness Network Launches New Tutorial for Parents" Media Awareness Network (MNet). Web. October 29, 2010
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