journal#5

In Sherri Turkle's article, "Can You Hear Me Now?", she brings up some compelling issues about our technologically tethered society. After spending time observing professionals at a convention,children and teens, and everyday people, she has concluded that we are loosing our sense of self and self reflection due to our concept of our virtual/digital self. We are what we do as related to the technology we own. We are what we own by virtue of our technology becoming an extension of our bodily selves. We have become what our technology enables us to do. Reality barely exists, moreover, as the children at the natural history museum in the article pointed out, they could care less if a live tortoise was at the museum or a robotic one. The craving for real emotional, face to face intimate connection has gone to virtual connection without facial expression or touch.
Terkle points to five areas where there is a significant loss of awareness. Because of the multitude of software available to us for creating virtual situations from gaming to creating a dream home to alternate personalities who can meet virtual others, get married etc., we are loosing touch with who we are in the hoop of this realm, walking the earth in this present time. If we look at indigenous cultures all over the earth, one thing they have in common for a healthy and successful society is interpersonal relationships. Not only is that intimacy between people understanding eachother on a deep level important, but the significance of honoring and respecting each individual, their talents and contributions to the group as a whole, allows the individual a sense of belonging and inclusion. We have lost our sense of value because our "belonging" has become a virtual belonging. To relate that to NETS-S,the classroom community can help to pull students back to belonging in the present in the here and now by engaging them in real-life situations and discussions.
The other areas Turkle points to are our lack of time due to the encroachment of technology, when in fact it is suppose to save time. The tethered adolescent who cannot rely on her/himself because the cell phone is just a rescue away. The fact that we have become masterful at self presentation and we find virtual validation a fair trade off to violation of 360 degree observation by strangers and the government.Finally, we cannot seem to be fully present for anything in our lives because we suffer from "split attention" syndrome. I was totally stressed out reading this article and it is the precise reason why I refuse to own a cell phone. I also think it makes clear why we always feel so "Busy" and there is no time to catch your breathe reflect and calm down; it becomes sensory overload.

Q? We are at such an exciting time in technology, why shouldn't we use all these things available to us?

Well, if this article doesn't change your mind, I think that there is a place for technology; however it has to be modified in how much we utilize it and how we prioritize where it fits into our lives. As a society we think if some is good, more is better-that is why we have so many addictions. It starts in a lot deeper place than why we use technology to the extreme. We have so many issues that young people and adults are facing-but most all of the surface issues of poverty, racism, abuse etc all go back to that feeling of needing to have placement in the continuum of existence. Where do I belong? How am I accepted, from the family unit on out it is like concentric circles rippling out from the person to family and on out to society as a whole. We do not insure that the individual's needs are being met, therefore the individual has to look beyond themselves for something fulfilling. At my son's old high school, Mr Win, the mathematics teacher spoke at graduation saying,remember, you will be spending most of your time with yourself. If you do not like who you are, you will be spending most of your time with someone you do not like. Perhaps we could have a more balanced relationship with technology if we enjoyed our own company more.

Q?what is the role then of technology in the classroom?
Because of our fascination with technology, I think it should play a significant role in the classroom. Without including technology, many students would become disengaged with learning, especially since they are digital natives. It would be akin to not acknowledging someone's culture. By setting up discussion boards, foe example, students who are not participating in daily in class discussions have an opportunity to express themselves. Then the teacher who has pulled them on board with the virtual discussion can pull them into classroom discussion by bringing up the salient points they had posted on line. Technology can be included within specific learning parameters.