2nd grade students at a Milwaukee elementary school wanted 10 more minutes of recess. Their principal told them to take their plea to social media and if the could get 1,000 likes they could get a day of extended recess.
I thought this was very relevant given our recent discussions about childhood obesity and children not getting enough exercise.
I had our discussion of kids not getting enough exercise at the forefront of my mind when I went to teach a pre-teen/teen karate class last Thursday. We worked them so hard we made two kids cry. ;-)
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this article I was aware that children were using technology at very young ages now. However, I did not know that children as young as the second grade were knowledgeable of social media sites such as Facebook. I found it interesting that administration is encouraging the students to utilize Facebook as a means of gaining extra recess time. Although, I understand the administration wanting them to use their persuasive skills I wonder if there are any long term effects of exposing children to social media sites at such a young age.
ReplyDeleteI think extra recess time is a great way for children to get more used to exercise and not just sitting in front of the TV. CHildren are able to play with each other, create social bonds and in return get some exercise. I thought that was also pretty intense that the children knew about Facebook. I feel like in this day in age we should encourage children to do more face-to-face communication and persuasive attempts instead of being through the media.
ReplyDeleteI find it very interesting that this principle is using the very thing that many researchers are saying is making children lazy and obese (technology/social media) to encourage outdoor play. I think its a great way to show that the growth of technology in the society we live in is not a bad thing, or something that can be avoided. Social media is a tool for people to connect and if used in the correct manner, it can be utilized instead of criticized.
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ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to me that a school would not be extremely interested recess away from children when the current trend is for schools to crack down on health issues. I know in my sister's school they are not even allowed to bring in cupcakes for birthdays anymore. Teachers are not able to give their students food of any kind and almost all food that could be considered unhealthy has been removed from the lunch room. I know this is not the same school, but I see this popping up more and more in schools across America.
ReplyDeleteThe social media aspect is not very shocking to me as I see things like this all the time online now. It is a very effective tool to use to reach others. However, the extent to which it is perpetuated and constantly a part of every day dialogue is a little concerning. To me, it is a way of encouraging very young children to get "plugged in" (not that they aren't already, but not all are). Using a tool that leads to obesity to promote something that helps it seems like a strange tactic.
I find it very ironic that in order for these children to get more recess (physical activity) time, they had to get Facebook likes. It is ironic because one of the main causes for obesity today is media, more specifically social media. Children are sitting on Facebook, Ipads, watching TV, on their cellphones, etc.and not involving themselves in enough physical activity. However, the principal promotes that the children engage in social media just so that they could get this extended time.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I think it is a very contradicting situation.
-Karlyn Tupper
I think it is extremely surprising that the principle of the school is encouraging the students to get 1000 likes on Facebook in order to get more recess time. The truth is that current technology is making child obesity much worse. Therefore, children should be encouraged to have more recess time as a form of exercise. Children today aren't getting enough physical activity due to technology. I believe that this is an interesting article because they are trying to use the problem- which is technology- to solve the problem. It is a very ironic situation. I think that it should be a no brainer to allow children ten more minutes of outdoor activities as opposed to sitting in the classroom- probably utilizing a computer or iPad. Overall, I think that this article challenges a lot dealing with the rise of childhood obesity and technology usage.
ReplyDelete-Julia Christensen
I think it's fine to teach children about the uses of social media. I am just very uncomfortable with that happening in 2nd grade.
ReplyDeleteI'm also dismayed that the principal used this tactic with her students instead of evaluating their argument for more recess on its' own merits. They made some very compelling arguments for why more recess would benefit them physically and academically.
We can thank "No Child Left Behind" for all of this.
I find this a little shocking that children are actually taught about the uses of social media at such a young age. Although this is shocking to us, I do think that teaching children social media at young age can help them in different ways. Using social media to get a certain amount of likes on a page can teach kids marketing and advertising skills, (although they have no idea what this means when they are in 2nd grade) and can also teach them to be persuasive. Maybe create persuasive facebook pages can help them learn different things. Also, I think teaching children how to use computers is beneficial because computers are the future and I think teaching children how to use and operate a computer is a smart thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI find it surprising that an elementary school's principal made the students "like" a Facebook page in order to get more recess. Since recess is physical activity, if children want more of it they should be allowed to have it without needing to do anything extra about it. Also, I'm surprised that 1,000 (if not more) elementary school children have a Facebook account would allow them to "like" a page. Young children should be allowed to play everyday, and limiting them is mean to the kids, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteWith social media and technology rising at such an incredible rate, simple activities like recess is growing shorter and shorter each year. For children, recess is an important part of their day at school because it gives them a chance to interact and play with other children, developing social skills throughout the process. Coming from "Generation Me," I have seen how much technology and social media has been effecting the relationships with people and personally, I find social media and the development of technology negative. Obviously social media and technology has lead to new medical discoveries, new ways to reach more people in a given time but it has also led to the extremely competitive market where everyone is trying to be "on top." This goal to reach 1 million likes to get more recess time is definitely good for these children. They are growing up with iPads and tablets from the day they were born so their generation only knows technology and social media. This is becoming the new "norm" for this generation even though it sounds shocking to hear that they are learning about social media at such a young age. All in all, this was good for the children because it is teaching them about having a goal and reaching it for something you truly want as a child, more recess time.
ReplyDeleteI feel this post is very important in two different ways! One, because kids do need that extra 10 minutes! It is important to their health and staying active. Also, it hits the technology and influence of technology aspect. In order for the kids to get that extra 10 min they needed to get 1000 likes. This is showing how much of influence technology has on kids these days.
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