This post topic probably seems a bit on the late side since Banned Books week was back in September this year, but a recent issue has arisen that has my blood boiling.
In case you were unaware, a school board in Florida has decided to place a ban on books that include "profanity, cursing, or inappropriate subject matter." You can read about it in more detail here. This directive is ridiculous and appalling. What is "inappropriate" subject matters? Who gets to decide what is "inappropriate"? What if I find certain topics inappropriate that others don't? The frightening part of this directive is that it will undoubtedly be used to silence the voices of marginalized groups. There have been plenty of studies that examine the connection between empathy and fiction readers. They've even done studies focusing specifically on Harry Potter! If you don't have access to library databases, you can do a quick google scholar search and come across a multitude of results. It might seem an odd notion to some, but students need access to materials that contain profanity, cursing, and inappropriate subject matter. They need to see that some things are just human nature. It also helps students be able to frame and contextualize situations that may seem foreign to them. By not allowing students to access stories and information, we're stunting their growth. One could even make the leap and say we are stunting the growth of our society. We should be encouraging younger generations to be better than us - to be more open, more accepting, more inclusive. Reading is about broadening your horizons, opening yourself up to new experiences in a safe environment. It's about reflection; it's about examining what makes you uncomfortable and why. It's about learning.
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I hear the term "digital natives" tossed around frequently.
It is being used to refer to Millennials and Gen Z. The idea is that people from these generations are brought up with technology at a young age. However, this term has somehow become manipulated to also indicate that these generations are born better at technology than previous generations. It almost appears that somehow these generations have evolved as fast as technology. The thought that "digital natives", in particular students in K-12 and higher education, are any better at technology than their parents or predecessors is wrong. They are not better at it - they are just more accustomed to using it in their everyday lives. "Digital Natives" have to be taught technology skills just like every other person born before them. I was lucky to have been born in the late 80's and learned technology as it was quickly evolving. I remember my family's first home computer and the MS DOS operating system. I can still recall turning on the computer and seeing the green block flashing at me, waiting for me to type in a command and tell it what to do. I was taught basic computer skills. While computers have become more advanced since then, I understand the basic components of how they operate. When babies and toddlers are given tablets and figure out how to play games, they aren't learning crucial skills. They are learning how to push buttons until they get the response they desire. The amount of 18 year old students I have encountered the past few years who don't know how to attach a file to an e-mail, or even what a flash drive is astounds me. We are doing a disservice to our students when we don't teach them basic technology skills. We cannot forget that they aren't born with this knowledge. We learned it at one point and so must they. |
AuthorI have worked in Education my entire life moving from K-12, to a community college, to my current position at a four year. I am fascinated by weird things and information in general. Archives
November 2017
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