As a Sunday School teacher who works with elementary aged children, for 3 years I have been a witness to change where technology plays a fervent role in the lives of children starting in elementary school all the way to high school. This change can be evident in our children’s emotional, social, and academic behavior. Our “screenagers” today spend most of their time in front of their cell phone screens accessing the digital world in a way that parents have a hard time controlling. There are applications such as Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram that have caught their attention. With such a culture, as a future educator it has worried me due to my ignorance previous to reading today’s article, that possibly there are more negative effects of technological use than positive effects. However, I have been reminded that even educators need to make a shift and need to change in our ways of thinking and our approach to teaching our students to better meet their psychological and societal needs.

Instead of technology being our enemy, it definitely can be an important tool to maintain our students’ attention and make class more exciting and bearable for our children. Over the years, our educational system has gripped old traditions and practices that do not apply and may not work in today’s culture. We have been comfortable in our old shoes that have been broken in, and as Rick Godwin says, it is difficult to focus on what we can gain after we give up so much that we have worked hard for to achieve. It requires a change in mindset, a change in perspective and change of understanding that old ways hinder new ways. As exciting it is to receive a brand new Iphone or brand new shoes, it is just as exciting to break them in and see where they will lead you.