I’ve been a high school social studies teacher for over two decades. If you’re reading this, then you have likely been to the same professional development seminars and programs I have attended over the last few years. You’ve likely learned about many of the amazing things digital devices can do […]
Inevitably, anytime we present to a group of teens about the detrimental effects their overuse of technology is having on their mental and social skills, we get questions about our own technology use. “Did you write your book using a computer or by hand?” or “Do you have a smartphone?” […]
Our school system, one of the largest school systems in the country, shared this op-ed piece on their Facebook page with all the students, parents, and teachers who follow them. In it, the pro-tech author argues that even the lessened AAP recommended restrictions on screen-time for kids is unrealistic. He says: […]
Please join us on our new Google Community: “Beyond the Screens” where some of the world’s leading authorities on the impact technology is having on our society come together to share information, articles, questions, and news. Some of our contributors include; Dr. Richard Cytowic, neurologist and author of many books including “Synthesis: […]
According to the new guidelines created by the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding screen time for adolescents, “Pediatricians can also help parents to become effective advocates with their children’s schools for media literacy education and interactive learning-effective programming. ….” and “Educators can play a key role in teaching media literacy […]
Check out the Jay Matthews’ piece in the Washington Post about PaleoEducation Teacher says smartphones are degrading discourse, hurting students!
Mind Change: How Digital Technologies Are Leaving Their Mark on Our Brains by Dr. Susan Greenfield In this work, Susan Greenfield provides a critical service to modern society. She does an extremely thorough job of reviewing the current science regarding the impact digital technologies are having on our brains. Despite […]
As featured on Dr. Richard E. Cytowic’s blog on Psychology Today: The Fallable Mind https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-fallible-mind/201508/poison-apple-technology-fads-make-your-kids-dumber Your kids are getting dumber. We didn’t want to be the ones to tell you, but someone had to. The saddest part of this is that your kids are getting dumber because of what is going on […]
As two teachers who have spent a combined 30 years in the classroom, we can tell you there has been a significant change in today’s students. They’re dumber. When compared to their early millennial counterparts, modern students (aka digiLearners) are significantly lacking in the areas of critical and creative thinking, […]
Daniel Kahneman’s work, Thinking Fast and Slow is a must read for all educators. In it Kahneman walks the reader through the decades of his Nobel Prize winning research in the area of neuro-psychology. Throughout his work he champions the notion of the dichotomy of brain function known as the […]
Our brains are shrinking. A recent study done by a group of paleo-anthropologists from the University of Wisconsin has found that the average human brain today is significantly smaller (200 cubic centimeters) when compared to the average human brain during the paleolithic era. (McAuliffe, 2011) Before we dive headfirst into this […]
If you want to see a rare sighting of critical thinking in the modern classroom, observe a class in which a teacher is trying to go over the results of a recent test. For whatever reason, it is at this precise moment that students immediately develop an intense ability to […]
You will probably struggle to read this. And here’s why. According to research done by Naomi S. Baron, a professor of linguistics at the Department of Language and Foreign Studies at American University, only 16% of people read online text word for word. (Ronsenwald, 2015) That means there is an […]
The Overuse of Digital Technologies is Ruining Our Schools. PaleoEducation is the solution. If you are a classroom teacher, you have likely been told that you need to use more technology in your classroom. It might even be a part of your evaluation. If you have ever asked an instructional […]