Burns Reflection

A key concept in the book, The Dumbest Generation, is the increased amount of students using technology.  The author determines this is a direct link to the increased gap of achievement among students today, referring to them as the dumbest generation.  Bauerlein provided many statistics to support his claim and also a survey of the amount of time students spend consuming different types of media.  His concern is that students spend a substantial amount of time in front of a screen versus reading a book and that these students have little or no appreciation or knowledge of arts and world facts and events.  I think there is some truth to his concern, but when I read the text I had to remind myself that an author’s evidence is only what he or she is willing to offer the reader.  Social networking creates a powerful group element that has never seen before in history.  According to the text, IQ tests have become more complex to meet our growing intelligence.  This should tell us that how  our children are using digital technology to enhance their learning is very positive.  In my own classroom, I began to notice something that I don’t think I noticed prior to being in this course.  At the beginning of my two online math courses, I have about half of the class log in the computer and instead of beginning their math course, the go to various news sites (usually MSNBC and read a few current events).  Generally they share a story with a neighbor.  At first I was harping on them to get started with the math for the day.  But during this course, I realized that this was a good thing and I continue and encourage them to do so.  According to a critic of the book (http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-the-dumbest-generation-how/), the author “ignores the fact that the generation before was just as disinterested in high art (and traditionalists blamed MTV), and the generation before them also seemed more interested in teen escapism than classical music or Victorian literature (and the traditionalists blamed rock and roll)”.  Despite the author’s heavy use of statistics, it doesn’t convince me that our students are getting dumber.