tries have set strict exposure limits? “Coun-
tries like Switzerland, Italy, France, Austria,
Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary,
Israel, Russia and China have set RF ex-
posure limits 100 to 10,000 times less than
the USA. They recognize that there can be
non-thermal biological effects from wireless
radiation” (Worldwide countries taking ac-
tion on wireless, 2008).
Unringing the bell
It will be nearly impossible to go back-
wards, especially when so many school
districts have invested billions in technol-
ogy’s potential to increase test scores. Very
few decision-makers have paused to address
the possible ramifications of digital integra-
tion or study the ominous pile of emerging
research on the detrimental effects of com-
puters, Wi-Fi, and exposing children to ad-
ditional screen time.
Many educators insist, “If a child can’t
learn the way we teach, maybe we should
teach the way they learn.” I must admit that
I theoretically agree with that ubiquitous,
yet slightly syrupy, teacher affirmation. But
26
Leadership
only to some extent. To many stakeholders,
“teaching the way they learn” means to place
the students in front of yet another glaring
flat screen because kids are really good with
computers. However, it’s a mistake to think
that children learn better with computers
simply because they are proficient with com-
puters.
Indeed, technology can enhance the
learning experience and open up windows
to vast amounts of information. But, it can
also increase the likelihood of cellular dam-
age and oxidative stress, increase childhood
obesity, deter the consolidation of long-term
memory and become another entertaining
diversion from learning.
As Neil Postman said, we are running the
risk of “amusing ourselves to death.”
Resources
• Avendano, C., Mata and Doncel (2011).
“The use of laptop computers connected to
internet through Wi-Fi decreases human
sperm mobility and increases sperm DNA
fragmentation.” Retrieved Feb. 2, 2017 from
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
• Carr, N.G. (2010). “The Shallows: What
the Internet is doing to our brains.” New
York: Norton, W. W. & Company.
• Dunckley, V. (2015). “Reset your child’s
brain: A four-week plan to end meltdowns,
raise grades, and boost social skills by re-
versing the effects of electronic screen-time.”
New York, NY, United States: New World
Library.
• Garber, L. (2013, Jan. 18). “5 benefits of
sunlight you probably never knew about.”
Retrieved Feb. 7, 2017, from Benefits, http://
naturalsociety.com/5-benefits-of-sunlight-
vitamin-d-you-dont-know.
Jonathan Robinette is a science teacher at
Folsom Middle School