Tech in the Classroom?? :O

Hello, to anyone who may be reading this. My name is Hallie Shore, and I am currently studying to become an English teacher at the high school level (hopefully!). I feel as though media technology provides unique benefits and challenges alike when it comes to its use in a classroom setting. I was lucky enough to grow up with mainly hands-on learning during my more formative years, through means such as handwritten notes, tests, and homework-- all completed with limited technological access. My peers and I learned basic media technology through guided programs and sessions in a computer lab dedicated specifically to cultivating our young minds. However, when I transitioned into the later stages of middle school and then high school, that's when my academics really began to focus on technology. I believe that this slow technological progress allowed me to properly develop skills necessary for life in the real world-- reading, writing, critical thinking, motor skills, and the ability to entertain myself without a screen in front of me. While I acknowledge my experience is likely different from that of many others, I have witnessed firsthand how detrimental the current required use of media technology is for developing minds. I work with young students aged 5-12, who mainly have lessons or homework assigned to them on district-assigned, touch-screen Chromebooks. Even simple tasks like practicing their reading come with scrolling, swiping, and nonstop stimulation that deteriorates both their fine motor skills and their attention spans. These students are also extremely attached to their devices, choosing to constantly play games and swipe through websites rather than playing outside or connecting with friends and peers. Due to these reasons, I believe media technology should be limited in a classroom setting and only accessible at certain points during the day, especially for young learners. Students should be allowed to use technology, yes, as we live in a world always changing and evolving with technological advances. However, it should be used as a supplement rather than the main learning material. Though I recognize the likely bias in my beliefs, I am wholeheartedly of the opinion that technology should be used in a learning environment similar to how it was when I was a child, rather than the unlimited access to it that students have now. I believe it is ineffective to hand students consistent online homework any earlier than middle or high school, as they need to have some sort of opportunity to develop core skills before they can improve on them with technological assistance. Without the basic ability to turn a page, write neatly, or even sign their own names properly, how can we expect these students to progress past an elementary level of educational prowess or understanding?