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litlrooh@e... writes:
I do have a question though. What about the studies that discuss brain
function during tv viewing?<<<<


Apart from the psychological issue of does-TV-breed-violence, the
study findings I've read suggest that young brains physically develop more and
richer neural pathways in heavily-used areas. Use it or lose it. In other
words, TV changes the brain's hardwiring -- stimulation causes additional growth,
while longterm lack of stimulation leads other pathways and synapses to
atrophy.

This doesn't only apply to rapid-fire screen stimulation like tv and
computers, of course. It applies to everything about how the developing brain
is or isn't used.

So at bottom those who interpret the research wind up making value
judgments about which areas of the brain are "better" than others, especially as
we prepare children for their future. That means to live in future society,
but unfortunately it also usually mean for "school." What amazes me is how so
many learned professionals in various fields, who don't otherwise act like
Luddites, just stonewall the idea that tv-computer capabilities will be more and
more integrated into the daily environments of the future, and that therefore
the brains of people in the future had BETTER adapt to it! And that graowing
brains to do well in "school" might be in direct opposition to this goal!

Some will find this debate annoying no doubt, but for any
unschooler who does want some links on the different perspectives, we chose to include
a few in PDE's Thinking Parent resources, as a sort of exercise in independent
analysis of education issues.
Part 3: Thinking for the Future
1) High Tech Debate: Does It Develop or Destroy Young Minds? -- Two adults
offer very different views of how technology affects developing human minds --
Nature Magazine's opinion is included below too. Or maybe the kids have already
figured it out? Also, a link to and commentary on the Kaiser study on
children and electronic media.

See also Howard Gardner -- Theory of Multiple Intelligences

If those hotlinks don't work, here's the Thinking PArent's
Resources-At-A-Glance URL to paste into your browser.

http://www.parentdirectededucation.org/Thinking%20Parent/Quick%20Links.htm


JJ








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