The Modern Learning Experience and The Consequences of Technology

Reclaiming Conversation by Sherry Turkle: Education Chapter Personal Response

In this chapter of Sherry Turkle’s book, she explains the modern reality of how technology affects the classroom setting. Since students are now so connected to tech, such as phones and tablets, at a young age they develop a desire for constant stimulation. Whether its checking messages or social media, many students find that their devices present as a distraction, specifically while in school. Although this is not the case for every student, it’s something that affects the learning and interaction within the classroom.

Personally, I’ve experienced how easy it is to get distracted while in class. Even if I put my phone away, I’ll often be distracted by my own thoughts. Moments of distraction while sitting in a classroom is virtually inevitable. I would agree however that taking notes with pen and paper can help to allow yourself to be more engaged. In my opinion, I think it helps when there is more interactive group work and discussions. Although not all students seek to submit to these methods, so finding a solid solution for grasping attention can prove quite difficult.

The reality is that the digital world plays a big part in how we function as a society. It is undeniably heavily used in both positive and negative ways. Most of the time, unfortunately, it proves to hinder our attentiveness and focus. But ultimately, I think it comes down to the student’s (and virtually everyone else’s) individual responsibility of attentiveness. It is important to be mindful of how it affects individual as well as group learning. I am a student myself and know it can be hard to resist the distractions that come when you experience some boredom in a class. Technology can either be a useful or harmful tool, so it’s up to us to decide how it affects our learning experience.