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Gadgets can’t top reading
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Maybe I’m biased, because I teach Information Communication Technology (ICT) to secondary students here in Shanghai. However, it is not the bias that you might think I would have. With regards to gadgets in students’ lives and studies, I believe that less is more.
With verbal SAT scores hitting an all-time low this past calendar year in the US, one wonders how much the proliferation of gadgets has contributed to this phenomenon. Of course, one cannot put the blame on one single cause, as there are many. However, I do know that when I have a gadget in my hand, I’m probably not reading a book at the same time.
Reading has been, and will continue to be, the fundamental activity of learning for students. What sets it apart from the educational apps is the requirement on the part of the readers to envision the scenes and concepts in their minds. This brain exercise is absolutely essential to young learners.
That is not to say that gadgets are useless. It comes down to whether the gadget is the means to something else or an end, in and of itself. No one doubts that having a map on your smartphone can be a lifesaver. However, the map application is only the means to finding directions or a specific location. It is useful for a particular purpose that has nothing specifically to do with the gadget.
However, when someone spends a dinner outing in front of their phone hoping to be entertained, the gadget becomes the end. Nothing is achieved in that case other than wasting time and losing a chance to learn social skills.
(Tom Lee is an SUIS Pudong teacher.)
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