Technology Survey with Pocasting

Technology use by my sixth graders isn’t what I expected it to be. I thought my students were spending a lot of time watching TV and playing video games. On average, out of 52 6th graders, time spent watching TV is about 30 minutes a day on school days, more on the weekends. Only 5% of my students say they play video games, and those that do spend about an hour a day. Time spent talking on the phone was also less than I thought, about 10 minutes a day on average. The “shocking” results of my survey was that fact that only 40% of my students use text messaging or instant messaging, but of those 40% they say they spend their day, after school is out, texting constantly! All of my students have at least one computer at home and do have internet access. Most of my students say that their parents put limits on them during the school week and they feel they don’t have time after sports practice and homework. Students feel that they have received ample time at school researching online and using computers to create digital projects. 6th graders are really in the beginning stages of using MySpace and Facebook, but it is something that they believe is really cool! My feeling is that their technology use may make a steep increase the older they get and as parents ease up on time restrictions. Listen to the podcast created by my students and myself: http://hall.podbean.com/mf/web/atkewd/MsHallpodcastassignment.mp3