Creativity

To Google or not to Google

Delaney Ruston, MD
March 14, 2017

TECH TALK TUESDAY #58: DO YOU INTERRUPT CONVERSATION TO GOOGLE AN ANSWER?

Group of students and teacher

How many times have you or your kids pulled out a phone at dinner to quickly get the answer to a question that comes up?  Knowledge-on-demand is the norm now but I am concerned it takes away from interesting, deeper conversations and interrupts dialogue. When you don't have one answer, you are forced to generate your own ideas on the topic. Debate and quandary on a topic spurs imagination.

There are conflicting views on this subject. I interviewed a man who integrates tech into schools and he felt strongly that the students would be far more interactive when they each had a computer because they would be able to quickly look up things and then share answers in real time. I recently talked to a teacher who wasn’t a fan of instant access. He felt tense knowing that students might be looking up things and questioning him.

Both perspectives may be true. For Tech Talk Tuesday this week let's talk about how it makes us feel to not know the answer to a question right away. Here are a few conversation starters.

  • If it is a tech free time, say dinner, should we allow phones to look up answers to our questions?
  • How are our desires for information intruding or adding to the quality of our conversations?
  • Do you ever question your teachers in class and then look up the answer while they are talking?

As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel

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Join Today - Members can screen and view our movies year-round, access new lesson plans, resources and much more!

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Our New Movie - Learn more about the third movie in the Screenagers Trilogy

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The Screenagers YouTube Channel - Subscribe for new videos and content from our team weekly!

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Community Screenings - Learn more about hosting your own Screenagers community screening event!

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Creativity

To Google or not to Google

Delaney Ruston, MD
March 14, 2017

TECH TALK TUESDAY #58: DO YOU INTERRUPT CONVERSATION TO GOOGLE AN ANSWER?

Group of students and teacher

How many times have you or your kids pulled out a phone at dinner to quickly get the answer to a question that comes up?  Knowledge-on-demand is the norm now but I am concerned it takes away from interesting, deeper conversations and interrupts dialogue. When you don't have one answer, you are forced to generate your own ideas on the topic. Debate and quandary on a topic spurs imagination.

There are conflicting views on this subject. I interviewed a man who integrates tech into schools and he felt strongly that the students would be far more interactive when they each had a computer because they would be able to quickly look up things and then share answers in real time. I recently talked to a teacher who wasn’t a fan of instant access. He felt tense knowing that students might be looking up things and questioning him.

Both perspectives may be true. For Tech Talk Tuesday this week let's talk about how it makes us feel to not know the answer to a question right away. Here are a few conversation starters.

  • If it is a tech free time, say dinner, should we allow phones to look up answers to our questions?
  • How are our desires for information intruding or adding to the quality of our conversations?
  • Do you ever question your teachers in class and then look up the answer while they are talking?

As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel

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