A time before the internet:
Boy I must be getting old… I can just picture my future son or daughter responding in disbelief: «You mean when you were a teenager, the internet never even existed???!!». Its funny just how rapidly the internet has infiltrated our lives. We communicate with the internet (email, chat, forum posts, blogs) instead of the old fashioned ways (conversations over the telephone and in person); we do our banking online; we buy and sell online; we make new friends online; we learn new things online; we watch «television» online (youtube videos); we get the latest news and weather online. In other words, we essentially work and play online. A quick look at your favourites folder conveys some sense of the reality.
What people did before the internet ever existed? When we had to write an essay or a homework assignment, it meant a trip to the library (at the university, school or local council library). Or your family was lucky and your home had a full-colour encyclopaedia set! Neither computers nor colour printers were around, so you had to stick pieces of paper with glue… hence the expresson «cut and paste». I’m sure that phrase has been lost on the current young generation! Information simply could not be accessed almost instantly like it can today. We played outside, so there was more chance of being exposed to sunlight for one thing… life, in short, was simple.
I for one would like to see an annual «world without internet day». What do you think about that?
Hey nif
That would be great! I would support a «no internet day»
I already asked my kids at school to stay off their phone, the internet, and tv for a one week as a homework assignment. They couldn’t do it! One girl in my class said, «No way Miss Brown, I can’t NOT watch, ‘Prison Break'»!
Most students went into a spasm when I told them about the homework.
Wherever there is technology, students become addicts.
The majority of teenagers are only accessing a small part of the internet anyway. They will only miss out on their chat world, a few cartoon images or the latest song video out.
Today, I asked them if they knew what a «google» was. I was not surprised to hear that no one knew.
No great loss.
Teachers are still teaching how to write essays and how to look for work in the newspaper….. they are out of touch. The gap is widenening and students are finding less connections with school and home.
Our English language is being lost to the world of the computer. Short sentences. Like this ….see!!
You have never seen such a world of illiterate people. Not many students are able to edit their own work. They do not care if there are spelling errors! After exams students sit and stare into space. It frustrates me.
The Reason: the internet is preferred over books. The beautiful characteristics of the English language are being lost. How many words are there for «good»? Now how many do we use? Even «good» has been replaced with a smiley face which represents «happiness»
Our language is being lost.
Also, we were in the age of «recorded information» in the 90’s. Now we are in the age of «quantity.» How do we get our quality back?
Writen by A design and technology teacher who is against technology…now thats rare…
Mich