Recently, a group of fourth graders were allowed to visit Saint Josephs hospital to learn about robotic surgery techniques. They not only watched videos of surgery, but allowed the kids to use the robots. Surprisingly, the kids did very well. They seemed very comfortable with this new technology. I think that this experience represents a paradigm shift in the way our generation views technology versus the way past generations have viewed it. In the past, complicated technologies, like computers and robots, were "grown-up toys". However, today, children are learning from a very young age how to use technology and in many cases understand certain technologies better than their parents.
Unfortunately, while this generation understands the newest technologies, there are many skills that are lacking. For example, with such a focus on the use of technology, many mathematics skills have been lost due to the high capability of calculators. As well as a loss in mathematics ability, I have noticed an increasing amount of people who can't read analog clocks or use paper dictionaries! This may not seem like a problem, but old technologies are sometimes better than new ones. People expect this generation to become the leaders of the future. While I'm sure that there are many who will excel in the future, I can't help but be concerned that our dependency on technology will lead to a decline in our technological advances. I believe that there needs to be a focus on technology in schools, but I also believe that we need to make sure that children are learning basic skills.
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