I can totally 100% relate to how students have become addicted to electronics, partially cellular devices, and have lost the passion to hold a "normal" and engaging conversation. I agree with the following Barnwell statement:
"the rush to meet 21st-century demands—emailing assignments, customizing projects for tablets and laptops, and allowing students to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)—we aren’t asking students to think and communicate in real time."
The need to engage with student in the "now" is instrumental in educating them for the future.
After reading this I was interested in trying the following with my own, detached children, "the next time you interact with a teenager, try to have a conversation with him or her about a challenging topic. Ask him to explain his views. Push her to go further in her answers." It is only by the pushing a student, or in my case-my kid, into the uncomfortable zone that questions and searching for answers can be learned.
I agree! I think this is an important "other side" to all that we have said about teaching technology.
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