 Tiny Adults Technology and the Disappearance of Childhood Instructions: Discuss the following questions with the members of your group.
Instructions: Read the text and complete the comprehension and writing questions that follow. Technology reaches every aspect of our society and shapes who we are and what we hope to become. This age of information has caused a dramatic shift in the role and status of children. Technology has not only helped to eliminate social and political borders, but it has also blurred the border between “adult” and “child”. There are two divergent theories regarding the affects of this shift. One suggests that our children are thrust into an adult world in which they have no coping mechanisms. The other theory looks upon this cultural shift as a natural social progression that must be embraced. In his book The Disappearance of Childhood, academic Neil Postman laments that our younger generation has been stripped of its “childhood” and set adrift in the adult world without having had the benefit of undergoing a natural maturation process. Postman faults television as the leading culprit in the disappearance of childhood. Postman states that in the medieval world, there were only two stages: infancy and adulthood. This was a society that was based primarily on face to face communication; so by the age of seven, an individual entered the “adult” world. With the advent of the printing press in the sixteenth century, communication became much more reliant on an individual’s ability to be literate. This led to a bridging period known as “childhood” in which children entered formal education in order to learn the skills required to function in the “adult” world. Postman says that both television and now the Internet, have lessened the importance of this “childhood phase” because children are exposed to the same content as adults. Children are being exposed to political, social and sexual content without having undergone the benefit of a gradual maturation process. According to Postman: “Americans are now doing with computer technology what they did with television technology. That is, they are not paying attention to its psychological and social effects on culture. They are just going ahead blindly, asking only, what will this new technology do? They are neglecting the question, what will the new technology entirely undo?” (an excerpt from an interview with Eugene Rubin) Postman’s world is a rather apocalyptical world in which parents and teachers have lost much of their authority and children are thrust into an adult consciousness in which they have no survival skills. Unlike Postman, Don Tapscott in his book entitled Growing up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation embraces technology’s influence on our younger generation. Tapscott suggests that earlier technology, primarily television, led to a passive child; whereas, the Internet is helping to establish children who are eager and creative. Children are now willing participants in the learning process fully capable of initiating what they learn and when they learn it. Tapscott would agree with Postman that the roles of both parents and teachers have changed, but Tapscott believes this change is an evolution that will require “adults” to re-evaluate how they perceive the education process, and indeed childhood in general. The balance of power has shifted and children are now intricately woven into designing the learning process. The boundaries between child and adult have never been more blurred than at present. The Internet has brought the adult world into the realm of childhood and more importantly, adolescents appear to be able to master the vehicle of this transformation, that being— “technology”. Fields such as recording, publishing and design once held exclusively by adults, are now easily accessible to people of all ages. No matter which theory you are partial to, we as parents and teachers have been given a unique opportunity to re-evaluate our social and educational doctrines. The balance of power may be shifting between “child” and “adult” but we as educators have a responsibility to ensure that the younger generation has a safe and prosperous future. Whether it is limiting access to this new technology or re-examining the criteria as to who is an effective learner, we as adults must not ignore the tides of change. There is no putting the genie back in the bottle. 1. Find a synonym in the 1st paragraph for the word “abolish”. _____________ 2. The word “shift” (in the 1st paragraph) is: (a) a noun (b) a verb (c) an adjective (d) an adverb 3. Neil Postman would most probably agree with which of the following statements: (a) Adults are watching too much television. (b) We should re-evaluate our concept of the “ideal learner”. (c) Parents have a responsibility to monitor what their children watch on television. (d) The Internet will lead to an increase in child abandonment. 4. The verb “has shifted” (in the 3rd paragraph) is: (a) past perfect (b) present passive (c) past passive (d) present perfect 5. The word “blurred” (in the 3rd paragraph) could be replaced by: (a) blinded (b) focused (c) distorted (d) frustrated 6. Restate the following phrase in your own words: “No matter what theory you are partial to” (in paragraph 4). ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________
7. In the article, Neil Postman is quoted as saying that both television and the Internet have had a negative impact on “childhood”. In your opinion, which one has had the greater impact? ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________
8. In two or three sentences, summarize the main idea of the article. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________
? Extension Questions for Writing top
1. In your opinion, what constitutes a “good learner” (academic performance, social adaptability, independent learning, problem solving)? Has the information age and the onslaught of technology changed our perception of what a “good learner” is or should be?
2. Rank the following influences on children in terms of least significant to most significant. In a few sentences, explain the rational for your ranking. parents, peers, television, teachers, music, fashion, the Internet
3. The article mentions that there has been a change in the “balance of power” between adults and children – do you agree or disagree?
4. What are five benefits that technology provides children? What are five drawbacks of technology. (Think in terms of social, economic and academic factors.)
Stative & Dynamic Verbs The progressive tenses are used primarily to indicate deliberate actions. Verbs which have a progressive form are referred to as dynamic verbs. There are also some verbs which have no progressive form; these verbs are referred to as stative verbs. Stative Verbs can be grouped as follows: (1) Sense Verbs: hear, see, smell, taste (2) Verbs of Emotions: admire, desire, like, want (3) Verbs of Cognition: agree, appreciate, believe, know, recall, remember (4) Verbs of Possession: belong, owe, own, possess Dynamic Verbs can be grouped as follows: (1) Action Verbs: drink, rain, write, talk (2) Transitional Event Verbs (The progressive form indicates the commencement of an event.): arrive, land, fall, come (3) Momentary Events: (The progressive form indicates an action of little duration and suggests repetition.): jump, knock F It is important to remember that “stative verbs” express non-willed qualities; whereas, “dynamic verbs” express willed qualities. For example, the sentence: I am being Molly Castlefield. is incorrect because the verb “to be” should be used in a “stative” form. However, the sentence: I am being rude. is correct because in this instance, the verb “to be” is dynamic in that it is expressing a “willed” quality. The person has the choice to be either “rude” or not. Instructions: Circle the correct form of the verb. 1. I awoke abruptly in the middle of the night when I ________ the piercing sound of an ambulance siren. (heard was hearing) 2. Kimiko ________ to go the academic conference by bicycle rather than by car because she is susceptible to motion sickness. (prefers is preferring) 3. As my research is too arduous and time consuming, I ________ it. (abandon am abandoning) 4. The presentation on the current political crisis in Quebec ________ her. (impressed was impressing) 5. While I was on the way home from picking up my son from daycare, I ________ Jean-Paul running through the park. (saw was seeing) 6. The project ________ an enormous amount of funding if it is to meet the needs of the community. (will require will be requiring) 7. Alicia ________ a wonderful time touring through the Maritimes. (has is having) 8. I ________ of a number between 1 and 10. Can you guess what it is? (think am thinking) 9. Who is that ________ on the backdoor? (knock knocking) 10. I think I ________ you from a previous English class. (recognize am recognizing) Instructions: Complete the sentence with an appropriate verb. 1. It ________ very steadily so remember to bring an umbrella. 2. I was going to serve caviar for the reception but I remembered that Angela ________ it. 3. Each time I walk past the baseball diamond, I ________ all the summers that I spent playing baseball with my friends. 4. Having run 42.2 kilometers today, I ________ a little wiped out. 5. Given the overwhelming evidence, it ________ obvious that the jury had no other option but to find him guilty of the crime. 6. The distraught child ________ frantically at the door when her mother finally opened it. 7. I can’t believe it but I think I ________ my wallet at home. 8. This pop ________ flat. When did you open it? 9. The baby’s face lit up as he ________ his mother the second she walked into the room. The Disappearance of ChildhoodFind each of the following words
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