SCREEN TIME

 

Over the course of lockdown and remote learning, I found myself tethered to a screen. I imagine this had been the case for much of the country, in one way or another.  

Before the monumental shift that occurred in March, I must admit that I had not given my own personal screen time much thought. Although, post-lockdown I have found myself swinging like a pendulum from screen aversion to screen addiction.

When we began remote learning back in March, many of the teaching staff became acutely aware of the dependence on screens; we found ourselves reliant on the visual medium and the ability to display and present documents and slideshows to the students. Our sole reliance on this technology as a means of delivering lessons became apparent very quickly.

Usually, in lessons, the materials and means are varied enough to ensure that we don’t just stare at the projected image for the duration of the lesson. There are paper copies, miniature whiteboards and other more kinaesthetic props. In lockdown though, what choice do we have? It’s an all or nothing in many cases. The screen has to become both exercise book and ‘chalkboard’.

It’s hard to argue with the scope and potential of these devices. Personally, I’m an advocate for technology in the class and our modern lives. I’m not a technophobe. At times, it was exciting and even liberating when embraced sensibly and productively by the students. I learnt a lot about the genuine curiosity of my students, particularly when tackling material with a historical context. The ability for a student to research or look up an element that has captured their interest is almost instantaneous and can truly aid both discussion and understanding in and outside of the lesson. Typically, within our school the students are fortunate enough to have iPad Minis which offer an ancillary use; augmenting the learning within the classroom as opposed to being a substitute. During remote teaching however, the screen becomes the portal to the majority of learning activities. It became a much discussed topic between the staff as to the pros and cons of this shift.

I must add as well that we are grateful that we even could operate remotely in the first place: it has been well documented now the disparity between families with access to smart technology for learning and those without…

After a few weeks, we noticed that with prolonged use and the repetitive nature of the timetable and tasks that could be delivered: headaches, eye strain and soreness in the wrists developed. We brushed it off at first and tried to empathise with those who work this way regularly. As the weeks went on and our timetable ran its course into its second, third… fourteenth lap! It hit us: we no longer liked it. The students no longer liked it. The novelty was gone. The toys were thrown from the pram. We missed the versatility of face-to-face learning in the classroom. The ability to check a pupil’s progress in the moment, not just once the task has concluded and the email has been submitted. The discussions, the debates. We were staggered by how little some of the students would say during live calls; most too shy to contribute or worried about interrupting or speaking out of turn. Simple ways of working, like peer assessment or reflection were very hard to instigate or monitor.

Eventually, the term ended. The academic year was up and summer vibes had begun to emerge, we said farewell to our colleagues, students and online timetables…but the screens? They remained. An extended summer holiday in the throes of ‘Stay Alert’ Britain was on the horizon and before Cummings would elect to see to his roadside eye test, the rest of us were probably battling with the screen time tracker on our phones, tablets and televisions. There’s no denying society’s growing dependence on the screen; from ordering our breakfast to our doorsteps, to sharing our latest chuckle with our closest, or not so, acquaintances. Man’s best friend no longer has four legs and a wet nose but a battery that always seems to need charging and a face that constantly needs cleaning.