<p>The dull blackboard has made way for the cool tablet, homeworks are uploaded on Internet portals, and math equations are practised online. Sudha Subramanian wonders if we should start mourning the demise of good ol’ books<br /><br /></p>.<p>About five years ago, we were in the Apple store at New York when my six-year-old son innocently asked if he could carry an Ipad to school. “If I could carry this”, he had said, “there would be no need for any books”. Like a prophecy, most of the things he had hoped for then, are happening now. And that too, at a furious pace. <br /><br />Today, my son carries a tab to his school. He has a set of text books on the tab. His homework gets uploaded on an Internet portal. He practises his math online. On any given day, he has a group of kids from class who brainstorm, chat or simply have fun on Google hangout. His report card gets uploaded onto the school website, which parents can access using a login. Worksheets, lessons and recommended readings/videos are all uploaded by <br />teachers on the school website.<br /><br />Although, we have not completely done away with physical books, e-books and e-learning have entered our lives, and I can tell with certainty that they are here to stay. I begin to wonder whether there will soon be a student life without physical books…<br /><br />Attractive proposition<br /><br />I am all for embracing new technology for the betterment of our lives. Let's face it. Tablets are portable. Their touchscreen feature makes it an instant hit – with young and old. They are simple and easy to operate, which is why our kids can teach us a thing or two, while we are still figuring out how to read our email. When my friend’s daughter, Aditi, was one, she could navigate her way around the ipad and search for videos on Youtube. What’s more, she learnt her alphabets even before she could speak coherently! <br /><br />For a while now, parents have used tabs for keeping children occupied – be it on a long-haul flight or to get over boredom on a lazy afternoon. These sessions have kept the kids happy, while teaching them math and science. Perhaps, the ‘educational experts’ want to take advantage of this popularity factor and revolutionise education at schools. <br /><br />Although, tablets have not replaced notebooks and textbooks entirely, they are slowly becoming an indispensable part of the school backpack. Kids look at e-books or watch videos on the screens of their tablet during lessons. As children begin to learn differently by not looking at the blackboard, they are slowly discovering the joys of “not having to write it down on a sheet of paper”. This has made tablet education very attractive to kids. <br /><br />And that’s not all. The camera comes in very handy when kids don't complete their notes in the classroom. Home works, class works, instructions, are all saved in the tab in the form of pictures. Also, since sharing information using a tab is simple, it is easy for students to collaborate. <br /><br />Just like we used to underline important points in the textbooks using a pen, children today use the highlighting feature in their digital textbooks and share it with friends. The fact is that hyperlinks, videos, interactive applications, all of these have helped kids follow complicated concepts across subjects.<br /><br />The ugly truth<br /><br />So, if there is so much good in tablet education, should parents worry at all? Bala Mahadev, mother of two, almost instantly says ‘No’ to tablets. She feels they can never replace books. Besides, she also worries that, in schools, the teacher-student interaction will diminish greatly. Another growing concern among parents is the influence of digitised gadgets in our lives. Undoubtedly, Internet has become indispensable in a student's life. However, constant action, glaring screens and instant results have resulted in a generation that thrives on being on the fast track. Kids no longer use their reasoning skills or brain power to find the answers to any questions. They instead use Google. With a tab in hand, it can only make matters worse. Studies have suggested that digital devices have increased the stress levels in our brains. <br /><br />Another worrying factor that parents have with tabs is how they can be misused – is my kid reading the textbook on the tablet or playing Temple Run? It is really an educational aide or more of an electronic playmate? With Internet connectivity being an integral part of the tab, parents are concerned about cyber bullying and digital stalking too. <br /><br />Whenever I visit my son’s school, I notice a growing number of kids glued to the screen. Sometimes, many heads crowd around one tab and that is the only way children interact these days. Shouldn’t children be kicking a ball and running around shouting instead of using their fingers to shoot birds on the screen? <br /><br />Growing childhood obesity, under-developed motor skills and poor eye health, these are just some of the perennial worries of new-age parents.<br /><br />“Self-illuminated screens increase the stress levels of the eyes. They cause dry eyes,” says Dr Renee Thomas, an ophthalmologist. Though it hasn’t been proved so far that these small screens can cause myopia, the doctor says that there has been a definite increase in the number of kids wearing glasses. “It’s either because parents are now more aware, or because children increasingly use their eyes to look at objects that are closer,” she says. <br /><br />“People are born with ‘hunter’s eye’ – to see objects that are near as well as far with clarity. But prolonged use of the near vision makes the eye adjust itself only to near vision, which is one of the reasons for the increase in myopia. So, watching TV closely, increased use of hand-held devices and reduced outdoor activity all lead to myopia,” explains Dr Renee. She’s quick to add that the use of tabs may be particularly harmful for very young kids, as their eyes are not well-developed. <br /><br />Middle ground<br /><br />So where are we headed? Tablet education does look very attractive. It can make learning enjoyable. But tablet education is still in its infancy and we need to tread that path with care. Schools need to work closely with their ICT (Information and Communication Technology) teams and ensure they have better security systems in place. And since fragility is a big <br />concern, it would be wiser to let older children handle the device first. <br /><br />Further, we also need to address the issue of fleeting attention spans. With the digital overhaul in our lives, our attention span has greatly reduced. Parents point out that many times children are easily lured into playing games, even when they sit down to study from their e-book. <br /><br />Excessive gaming has become a big concern among parents and teachers. While the rewards are many, the challenges are grave too.<br /><br />At the end of the day, no matter what, technology can only ‘help’ or ‘aid’ in education – which means, technology cannot override teachers. They can only assist. Perhaps, I am old-fashioned, but I believe that children enjoy learning when teachers teach, not tablets. Most children learn to love certain subjects, because their teachers have influenced them. Google and the many applications may have all the answers, but only a human teacher can teach you how to arrive at the answer. Perhaps, there are some more lessons to learn. For me, tablets are like the stick that you can use for support, not the crutch you can lean onto.</p>
<p>The dull blackboard has made way for the cool tablet, homeworks are uploaded on Internet portals, and math equations are practised online. Sudha Subramanian wonders if we should start mourning the demise of good ol’ books<br /><br /></p>.<p>About five years ago, we were in the Apple store at New York when my six-year-old son innocently asked if he could carry an Ipad to school. “If I could carry this”, he had said, “there would be no need for any books”. Like a prophecy, most of the things he had hoped for then, are happening now. And that too, at a furious pace. <br /><br />Today, my son carries a tab to his school. He has a set of text books on the tab. His homework gets uploaded on an Internet portal. He practises his math online. On any given day, he has a group of kids from class who brainstorm, chat or simply have fun on Google hangout. His report card gets uploaded onto the school website, which parents can access using a login. Worksheets, lessons and recommended readings/videos are all uploaded by <br />teachers on the school website.<br /><br />Although, we have not completely done away with physical books, e-books and e-learning have entered our lives, and I can tell with certainty that they are here to stay. I begin to wonder whether there will soon be a student life without physical books…<br /><br />Attractive proposition<br /><br />I am all for embracing new technology for the betterment of our lives. Let's face it. Tablets are portable. Their touchscreen feature makes it an instant hit – with young and old. They are simple and easy to operate, which is why our kids can teach us a thing or two, while we are still figuring out how to read our email. When my friend’s daughter, Aditi, was one, she could navigate her way around the ipad and search for videos on Youtube. What’s more, she learnt her alphabets even before she could speak coherently! <br /><br />For a while now, parents have used tabs for keeping children occupied – be it on a long-haul flight or to get over boredom on a lazy afternoon. These sessions have kept the kids happy, while teaching them math and science. Perhaps, the ‘educational experts’ want to take advantage of this popularity factor and revolutionise education at schools. <br /><br />Although, tablets have not replaced notebooks and textbooks entirely, they are slowly becoming an indispensable part of the school backpack. Kids look at e-books or watch videos on the screens of their tablet during lessons. As children begin to learn differently by not looking at the blackboard, they are slowly discovering the joys of “not having to write it down on a sheet of paper”. This has made tablet education very attractive to kids. <br /><br />And that’s not all. The camera comes in very handy when kids don't complete their notes in the classroom. Home works, class works, instructions, are all saved in the tab in the form of pictures. Also, since sharing information using a tab is simple, it is easy for students to collaborate. <br /><br />Just like we used to underline important points in the textbooks using a pen, children today use the highlighting feature in their digital textbooks and share it with friends. The fact is that hyperlinks, videos, interactive applications, all of these have helped kids follow complicated concepts across subjects.<br /><br />The ugly truth<br /><br />So, if there is so much good in tablet education, should parents worry at all? Bala Mahadev, mother of two, almost instantly says ‘No’ to tablets. She feels they can never replace books. Besides, she also worries that, in schools, the teacher-student interaction will diminish greatly. Another growing concern among parents is the influence of digitised gadgets in our lives. Undoubtedly, Internet has become indispensable in a student's life. However, constant action, glaring screens and instant results have resulted in a generation that thrives on being on the fast track. Kids no longer use their reasoning skills or brain power to find the answers to any questions. They instead use Google. With a tab in hand, it can only make matters worse. Studies have suggested that digital devices have increased the stress levels in our brains. <br /><br />Another worrying factor that parents have with tabs is how they can be misused – is my kid reading the textbook on the tablet or playing Temple Run? It is really an educational aide or more of an electronic playmate? With Internet connectivity being an integral part of the tab, parents are concerned about cyber bullying and digital stalking too. <br /><br />Whenever I visit my son’s school, I notice a growing number of kids glued to the screen. Sometimes, many heads crowd around one tab and that is the only way children interact these days. Shouldn’t children be kicking a ball and running around shouting instead of using their fingers to shoot birds on the screen? <br /><br />Growing childhood obesity, under-developed motor skills and poor eye health, these are just some of the perennial worries of new-age parents.<br /><br />“Self-illuminated screens increase the stress levels of the eyes. They cause dry eyes,” says Dr Renee Thomas, an ophthalmologist. Though it hasn’t been proved so far that these small screens can cause myopia, the doctor says that there has been a definite increase in the number of kids wearing glasses. “It’s either because parents are now more aware, or because children increasingly use their eyes to look at objects that are closer,” she says. <br /><br />“People are born with ‘hunter’s eye’ – to see objects that are near as well as far with clarity. But prolonged use of the near vision makes the eye adjust itself only to near vision, which is one of the reasons for the increase in myopia. So, watching TV closely, increased use of hand-held devices and reduced outdoor activity all lead to myopia,” explains Dr Renee. She’s quick to add that the use of tabs may be particularly harmful for very young kids, as their eyes are not well-developed. <br /><br />Middle ground<br /><br />So where are we headed? Tablet education does look very attractive. It can make learning enjoyable. But tablet education is still in its infancy and we need to tread that path with care. Schools need to work closely with their ICT (Information and Communication Technology) teams and ensure they have better security systems in place. And since fragility is a big <br />concern, it would be wiser to let older children handle the device first. <br /><br />Further, we also need to address the issue of fleeting attention spans. With the digital overhaul in our lives, our attention span has greatly reduced. Parents point out that many times children are easily lured into playing games, even when they sit down to study from their e-book. <br /><br />Excessive gaming has become a big concern among parents and teachers. While the rewards are many, the challenges are grave too.<br /><br />At the end of the day, no matter what, technology can only ‘help’ or ‘aid’ in education – which means, technology cannot override teachers. They can only assist. Perhaps, I am old-fashioned, but I believe that children enjoy learning when teachers teach, not tablets. Most children learn to love certain subjects, because their teachers have influenced them. Google and the many applications may have all the answers, but only a human teacher can teach you how to arrive at the answer. Perhaps, there are some more lessons to learn. For me, tablets are like the stick that you can use for support, not the crutch you can lean onto.</p>
