Where Do the Children Play?

Where Do the Children Play?

As I examined the 78 Reasonable Questions to Ask About Any Technology, I continued to focus on the Moral section. As an educator I ask myself daily, “Whose moral values are we teaching?” The documentary “Where do the children play’’ focused on Beaver Island in North Michigan. The concept of “Leave No Child Inside” was inspiring and motivating for me. The idea of children’s play and the need to experience life has been drastically affected by technology. The invention of television and video games has replaces the exploration of the outside environment with the inside isolation in front of television. The joy of nature and the experiences that accompany it have been lost to new inventions that program thinking and challenge the mind with pictures and audio that is no substitute for the real environment.
I believe in active hands on learning. The comment that nature is morally messy really captured my attention. We all learn better by doing. As stated in documentary, “Taking kids into the wild takes the wildness out of them.” Experiencing nature makes them more aware, more respectable of nature and the environment. The value of outside play on the development of cognitive skills, physical fitness and acquired knowledge is crucial to the development of the whole child. While the use of technology is to enhance experiences and opportunities the reality is that for children it has become a baby sitter or a place holder for precious limited free play time. The joy of laughter, oral communication, creative play and exposure to clean air and a healthy environment are major moral losses we have sacrificed for technology. The impact on the abilities and habits of our children, future leader, will be reflected in creative solution, scientific preferences and the overall health of our children.
The disconnection with nature and the evaluation of the effect of play on our children is a moral issue we all need to revisit. The moral values of families and their reaction to the increased violence of television programs, electronic games, cell phones, music devices, and internet are stressed to the maximum. We have a moral obligation to protect our children and provide a safe and caring environment for them not just at school but in the home and community as well. I value nature, interactions with others and respect for diverse opinions. I believe, “We are the sum total of our experiences.”