Improper Use of Technology - The Buck Stops.....Where?

The Examiner's Article on the Misuse of iPads

     Using technology in a classroom can lead teachers to be concerned about the misuse of technology due to several issues; 1) humans are an imperfect creation, of course we want to see what we can do to skirt around what we are really supposed to be doing, 2) kids are kids, part of learning is making mistakes, 3)Avoidance is popular when it comes to challenging information.

     Teachers everywhere struggle with the proper use of technology in their classrooms and are constantly finding new ways to ensure that what they are asking from for the students does not get misused. In my class, I put the ownership on the student; if you aren't going to pay attention and you're going to get onto websites or social networks you aren't supposed to; than I can ensure you that you'll miss crucial information and have difficulties understanding the information when we move on in class....this, my friends, will be your issues.

    I think this article asks critical questions; the problem isn't that the students hacked into other programs using the digital device; it is that we have to question, as educators, how effective the use of technology is and how well it is truly tied to the curriculum? Although this editorial is not perfect by any means, I found it to be thought provoking. Once more research proving the tablet's usefulness in the classroom becomes apparent; less issues will be part of the common culture of a school or classroom. The 5th grade teachers I assist do an amazing job of implementing the iPads for reading as well as for math, different applications allow for further development of new technologies to spur ideas and cultivate hands on learning. The problem with tablets is that student screens are so small, it is easy to hide what is going on - unlike the ambient glow of a large PC or Mac screen. More importantly, it is difficult to insure that students aren't misusing the use of these tools.
 
   My critique of this article is more centered on the thoughts that different institutions have on how to prohibit the misuse of technology, but not get rid of it completely. Instead of taking all of the technology away from a student group, why not instead encourage proper use through a reward system or put assessments on the iPads that have to be completed for full credit to be received. If a student chooses to ignore these assessments in favor of social media, than why not allow their grade to suffer in conjunction with their poor performance and inability to complete the tasks at hand?

   I'm confused as to why social media is constantly the white elephant in the room....what is more important, helping students understand the curricular expectations and information or constantly telling them "no" to Facebook? I used a Facebook template with my previous employer and had student fill in interests of the authors, etc. and I was the one that got weird looks! Um, OKAY!