John Vandercar

IS THE INTERNET MAKING CHILDREN LAZIER?

The Internet: Tool for Efficiency or Higher

Learning?

The Internet has become a permanent part of daily life.

How is this affecting grade school children?

-Access

-Emotional effects

ACCESS (-)

Internet access during school:

-Cheating on Tests/Quizzes via phones

Homework:

-Quick and easy research with minimal reading

-Plagiarism

-Shortcuts

ACCESS (+)

Internet access during school:

-Educational websites can be much more engaging than textbooks

-Internet allows for usage of authentic tools in the classroom

At home:

-Exposed to a wealth of knowledge

-Always learning about new topics

EMOTION

“Your Phone vs. Your Heart”

-More time spent alone with technology lessens ability to connect with others

Role of parents in children’s lives

-Not all blame goes to the Internet

MEDIATION

In School:

-Collect phones and other electronic devices during tests and quizzes

-For research assignments, strike a balance between physical and digital sources required

At Home:

-Keep parents informed to encourage children judicious use of Internet tools

WORKS CITED

Bybee, R.W., J.C. Powell, and L.W. Trowbridge. “The Future of

Computer and Internet Use in Schools.” Education.com.

Education.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

Fredrickson, Barbara L. “Your Phone vs. Your Heart.” The New

York Times. The New York Times Company, 23 Mar. 2013.

Web. 9 Apr. 2013.

Kurtz, Dahlia. “Is technology making students lazier?” The

Toronto Sun. Sun Media Corp., 3 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Mar.

2013.

Wilson, Lee. “Is the Internet Making Kids Smarter? - The Brain Doctor

Weighs In.” The Education Business Blog. Headway Strategies,

7 Jan. 2011. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.

 Excellent Good Fair

Needs Work

Context        Purpose: perceptive definition of central question, visual & verbal; scope is narrow, question consistent throughout

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Substance        Development: sufficient summary & insight; slides focused & yet fully developed; mix of verbal & visual information

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Sources: appropriate for topic, pertinent in placement, cited as necessary; quotations & data introduced correctly

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Organization        Thesis: a thesis, early or late, that clearly states both sides of question & its mediation

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Introduction and Conclusion: overview of organization given at the beginning; conclusion sums up key points

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Relationship: relationship of ideas clear; coherent; visual cues guide us through presentation

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Style        Visual Style: clear & to-the-point text on-screen; same for data on-screen; the verbal component fits the visual

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Verbal & Sonic elements: engaging presence, name given, neither too colloquial nor too formal; no mumbling; any other use of sound (music, video) fitting

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Conventions & Correctness free from data errors free from word errors (SP, etc.)

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Response Team        Response: Questions in class & written responses demonstrate understanding; response helps enhance presentation (rated “Excellent,” “Good,” or “Fair.”)

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Name & Section : Vandercar, RN Overall Comments: All in all, another effective job w/ this question. & you’ll see that the response team, below, thought the same. I had misgivings about how you rushed through some of the “Access” issues, & later on, when on the “Emotion” slide, you used that dangerous construction “parents should” — after all, it’s very difficult to legislate behavior btw. parents & children in their own homes. Still, the other mediation suggestions were sound, & throughout, the balance of text & visual worked well. Even the blue background seemed fitting. A-

Response to John Vandercar’s Essay of Mediation Presentation

John Vandercar researched and brainstormed a possible mediation for the question, “Is the internet making children lazier?” Engebretson personally was interested in how he went about his project because she mediated a very similar topic. Instead she researched the benefits and disadvantages of technology within education. “I really enjoyed Vandercar’s presentation. He researched some aspects that I didn’t even think of like plagiarism” (Engebretson). Ian Baer thought the PowerPoint was extremely organized and he could tell Vandercar did a lot of research to prepare for the paper and presentation. “Vandercar did a nice job on using up the space with pictures but may have been too much on some slides” (Tong). Apart from his slideshow, Jenna Engebretson felt like Vandercar felt very comfortable in front of the crowd. “He did a great job adding additional information rather than just including just the information on the slides” (Engebretson). Paul Tong stated the statistics supported his topic and made his presentation and mediation stronger. “The mediation John Vandercar proposed connected to the information he explained in a logical and encouraging manner” (Engebretson).