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ERIC Number: EJ1112100
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Sep
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1784
EISSN: N/A
Research Matters/"High Touch" Is Crucial for "High Tech" Students
Goodwin, Bryan
Educational Leadership, v74 n1 p81-83 Sep 2016
In this article, Goodwin describes how today's students need teachers to model warmth and empathy. In the zealous rush to meet 21st century demands--e-mailing assignments, customizing projects for tablets and laptops, and allowing students to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), students are not learning to think and communicate in real time. Godwin reports on a Kentucky teacher's efforts, using a detox program, where going "cold turkey" (unplugging from the internet) initially spawned a wave of emotions--denial, resentment, and anger. Gradually, though, with frank group conversations, the students came to see that a habit that had begun as way to pass time and socialize was now consuming their lives, harming friendships, and even spawning abusive behavior. By the end of the week of detox, the students had re-engaged with their friends and found time to rekindle forgotten interests like reading books. These teens were part of a growing trend in which people voluntarily unplug from the Internet for a few days to rebalance their digital and real lives. A study in Alaska schools indicated that the best teachers, those able to challenge kids to engage in critical thinking while demonstrating empathy, displayed "high personal warmth with high active demandingness." All kids worked hard to please these so-called "warm demanders," who showed them empathy and respect. Today's "cyber youth" need, perhaps as never before, for teachers to show (and model) empathy, giving them something that's in increasingly short supply in their lives--a real human connection.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Alaska; Kentucky
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A