Concerned About Article Advocating School Technology

[makeshifter]

As a retired children's librarian of 25 years' experience, I was concerned to read the article entitled "Engagement: Making Educational Content 'Stick' Through Technology," in the Fall 2017 issue of Attention. Too often we lean on technology, expecting it to work wonders in the classroom. Granted, children love technology and computers, but there is not that much hard evidence that they necessarily benefit from it in school. And, when it comes to children with ADHD, there is plenty of evidence to show that they do NOT benefit from a technology-based curriculum, in which students are required to use computers, devices, and apps to do their work. These devices are far too distracting to ADHD kids, who already have plenty of trouble concentrating and focusing. My therapist recently told me he had gone to a local high school on behalf of one of his young patients, whose use of G Suite for Education, formerly Google apps, has been proving disastrous for him. The school system mandates the use of these apps in high school classes, and it was with difficulty my therapist made his case for an alternative form of study for this young man--who was sitting there, with his mother, hopelessly lost on his smart phone, not even responding to questions. It was admitted by the principal that, for kids like this alternatives should be available.

We have gone so blindly down the road of technology, trying, always trying to make education fun and appealing, that we ignore the fact that these tools are NOT helpful or appropriate for everyone. I have ADHD which was not diagnosed until I was 53. When I first started using the internet I was badly frightened to discover I had little or no control over my actions online, that I couldn't control how much time I spent there. After much struggle and agony, I discovered filters and now limit my internet access time to two hours per day. I simply can't handle anymore. And even two hours can be too much at times.

I am surprised that Attention is so strongly advocating for these tools for ADHD children, when research has shown that we ADDers have major problems with them, and that they have not been proven to be of real educational benefit. We need to be told the facts about technology, including its drawbacks and dangers.