School Bells – Current Affairs – Grade 8 – week 28
Soon the students will be on spring break. It seems hardly possible that we are so far along in the school year. Just the other day I was making plane reservations so I can attend my niece’s graduation from high school. I was sure she was in grade school and college seemed a distant dream. As are many bright, passionate young people who love to learn she continues to experiment with how to divide up the mere 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week.
This is the subject for today’s discussion with the 8th graders. How does one take advantage of currently available technology without allowing that same technology to dominate or take charge of one’s life.
The students are arriving now.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: No cookies this week. Perhaps next week if I have time to bake. I am eager to hear the thoughts of you and your family regarding how one makes use of technology without allowing technology to dominate or take charge of one’s life. Who is ready to share?
Tom: Our family decided that we would all keep track of how much time we currently average a day or a week on television, radio, the computer, the iPad, the phone for talking, texting and playing games, and the Xbox. We also are keep track of how much time we spend on other activities. Each of us has a daily 3 x 5 card with a grid that mom printed off for us. On the bottom of the card we can add up the time or each activity. We are eager to find out the daily and weekly totals. We decided to do this for two weeks. Oh, yeah, this is only for time away from regular school time and/or work time. The week’s results were interesting. Overall we were all pretty happy with how we are currently dividing up our time.
Me: That is great Tom. Why did your family decide to do that?
Tom: We were fearful that if we just estimated we would not be very accurate or honest with ourselves.
Me: Great. I find it is helpful for me to take a similar approach. How did you evaluate the division of time?
Tom: It was difficult. First we had to decide what activity to track. We decided we wanted to know how much non-work/school time was spent on family time, exercise, eating heathy and friendships and how much on games, non-educational television, social media or other mind-numbing media. It is not very scientific.
Me: Still, it means that you are being more intentional about your values and how you spend your time. It also sounds like a commitment to be honest with yourselves.
Abdul: Our family did not have a lot of access before we came to this country. We did not have much money when we first arrived and now are clear that nothing can interfere with family or prayer time. None of us have phones, televisions or computers in our rooms. Even the school iPad has to be used in family areas.
Me: That is impressive Abdul. Do you feel deprived?
Abdul: I used to complain that when I visited homes of friends they had televisions and computers in their rooms.
Me: What happened when you complained?
Abdul: Mom and dad asked if I wanted them to talk to the parents of my friend about adopting me.
Me: What did you say?
Abdul: Nothing. I do not want a different family. Now I am older and I appreciate the family rules more. We have a lot of good discussions.
Will: My grandmother gets really angry if she wants to talk and the television is on or you are playing on your phone. Once we did not have television or phones for a month. She says, “Do you think that television is putting food on your table?”
Me: How does that feel?
Will: Not good sometimes but we talk a lot in our family and I love to hear the family stories. I think I am lucky.
Amena: We did not have televisions or computers when I was little. There was only one phone which was the family phone.
Ann: We always had televisions, a computer and phones in our rooms. When we started this class and you sent assignments home we watched television less and talked more. Now we have times when there are no phones, televisions or anything allowed. At dinner, only the family is present and we talk now. We sometimes sit for a long time unless there is a planned meeting or something. Then all of us help clean up and still talk.
Paul: Both at your house and our house we are always doing something, frequently in the kitchen such as when Sam and I make cookies at your house Uncle Jim. Then we do volunteer work, homework, church or go to museums. Sometimes we watch a movie or some program together and then we make hot chocolate or something and talk about it.
Susie: We have never had any rules and everyone has access to a computer, phones, and televisions. This week we were talking about how living together is different than living separately. We decided that often we are living as if we are separate. Even though we sit at the kitchen counter to eat we watch television or play games. We liked that you brought up this topic Mr. Jim.
John: During the week we do not have any rules and do not talk to each other much. On the weekends, we are almost always at the cabin where there is no electricity and we take only one phone for emergencies.
Me: It sounds as this exercise made you and your families think more about these issues. Some of you had already decided to be intentional about how you spend your time individually and as a family. I am impressed that each family is exploring ways of not allowing life to just happen.
The key does seem to be talking as a family about what is important and how you want to use time each day.
Next week, how about we discuss what we should do with people who break the law. We currently incarcerate more people than any other so-called developed nation and have a higher recidivism rate than any other country. Is the system working or do we need a new approach?
Will, please hand out the assignment.
All you did a fantastic job once. Thanks. Have a good week.
Class: Bye Mr. Jim.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Written March 7, 2017
Soon the students will be on spring break. It seems hardly possible that we are so far along in the school year. Just the other day I was making plane reservations so I can attend my niece’s graduation from high school. I was sure she was in grade school and college seemed a distant dream. As are many bright, passionate young people who love to learn she continues to experiment with how to divide up the mere 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week.
This is the subject for today’s discussion with the 8th graders. How does one take advantage of currently available technology without allowing that same technology to dominate or take charge of one’s life.
The students are arriving now.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: No cookies this week. Perhaps next week if I have time to bake. I am eager to hear the thoughts of you and your family regarding how one makes use of technology without allowing technology to dominate or take charge of one’s life. Who is ready to share?
Tom: Our family decided that we would all keep track of how much time we currently average a day or a week on television, radio, the computer, the iPad, the phone for talking, texting and playing games, and the Xbox. We also are keep track of how much time we spend on other activities. Each of us has a daily 3 x 5 card with a grid that mom printed off for us. On the bottom of the card we can add up the time or each activity. We are eager to find out the daily and weekly totals. We decided to do this for two weeks. Oh, yeah, this is only for time away from regular school time and/or work time. The week’s results were interesting. Overall we were all pretty happy with how we are currently dividing up our time.
Me: That is great Tom. Why did your family decide to do that?
Tom: We were fearful that if we just estimated we would not be very accurate or honest with ourselves.
Me: Great. I find it is helpful for me to take a similar approach. How did you evaluate the division of time?
Tom: It was difficult. First we had to decide what activity to track. We decided we wanted to know how much non-work/school time was spent on family time, exercise, eating heathy and friendships and how much on games, non-educational television, social media or other mind-numbing media. It is not very scientific.
Me: Still, it means that you are being more intentional about your values and how you spend your time. It also sounds like a commitment to be honest with yourselves.
Abdul: Our family did not have a lot of access before we came to this country. We did not have much money when we first arrived and now are clear that nothing can interfere with family or prayer time. None of us have phones, televisions or computers in our rooms. Even the school iPad has to be used in family areas.
Me: That is impressive Abdul. Do you feel deprived?
Abdul: I used to complain that when I visited homes of friends they had televisions and computers in their rooms.
Me: What happened when you complained?
Abdul: Mom and dad asked if I wanted them to talk to the parents of my friend about adopting me.
Me: What did you say?
Abdul: Nothing. I do not want a different family. Now I am older and I appreciate the family rules more. We have a lot of good discussions.
Will: My grandmother gets really angry if she wants to talk and the television is on or you are playing on your phone. Once we did not have television or phones for a month. She says, “Do you think that television is putting food on your table?”
Me: How does that feel?
Will: Not good sometimes but we talk a lot in our family and I love to hear the family stories. I think I am lucky.
Amena: We did not have televisions or computers when I was little. There was only one phone which was the family phone.
Ann: We always had televisions, a computer and phones in our rooms. When we started this class and you sent assignments home we watched television less and talked more. Now we have times when there are no phones, televisions or anything allowed. At dinner, only the family is present and we talk now. We sometimes sit for a long time unless there is a planned meeting or something. Then all of us help clean up and still talk.
Paul: Both at your house and our house we are always doing something, frequently in the kitchen such as when Sam and I make cookies at your house Uncle Jim. Then we do volunteer work, homework, church or go to museums. Sometimes we watch a movie or some program together and then we make hot chocolate or something and talk about it.
Susie: We have never had any rules and everyone has access to a computer, phones, and televisions. This week we were talking about how living together is different than living separately. We decided that often we are living as if we are separate. Even though we sit at the kitchen counter to eat we watch television or play games. We liked that you brought up this topic Mr. Jim.
John: During the week we do not have any rules and do not talk to each other much. On the weekends, we are almost always at the cabin where there is no electricity and we take only one phone for emergencies.
Me: It sounds as this exercise made you and your families think more about these issues. Some of you had already decided to be intentional about how you spend your time individually and as a family. I am impressed that each family is exploring ways of not allowing life to just happen.
The key does seem to be talking as a family about what is important and how you want to use time each day.
Next week, how about we discuss what we should do with people who break the law. We currently incarcerate more people than any other so-called developed nation and have a higher recidivism rate than any other country. Is the system working or do we need a new approach?
Will, please hand out the assignment.
All you did a fantastic job once. Thanks. Have a good week.
Class: Bye Mr. Jim.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Written March 7, 2017
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