Technology Trends; Thoughts and Concerns

I related to many of the trends in the article 10 Major Technology Trends in Education (Riedel, 2014). Recently, I have been reflecting on the topic of digital footprint and social media in schools. A goal of mine is to more effectively educate young people on the role social media plays in their lives. When I think about social media, I think about Facebook and Instagram, and I realize this is naïve of me. Young people are involved with so many other forms of media such as vine, ask.fm, musica.ly, Twitter, Tumblr and the list goes on. In addition to this, young people often have multiple accounts on each of these platforms. Being someone who has one Twitter account, I can not even imagine what it is like for these young people to balance the upkeep of their digital persona, extracurricular activities, homework, and sleep. I am worried about the upward trend of technology use in education as well. I see that technology can make learning more efficient, engaging and collaborative. However, when we look at the big picture of technology usage in the lives of young people I think, when are they not on technology? Also, I think long-term what effects will this extended use of technology have on young people physically? In my fitness classes, I have dedicated more time to stretching and posture. Having student roll their shoulders back from the slouched position they have sitting at the computer. I also have students hold their necks in alignment with their spine instead of the forward neck posture, so many of them hold while texting. I can only hope some of this work will stay with them when they move on from taking my fitness class. References Riedel, B. C. (2014, February 3). 10 Major Technology Trends in Education -- THE Journal. Retrieved November 28, 2016, from https://thejournal.com/articles/2014/02/03/10-majortechnology-trends-in-education.aspx