Interesting to note that while teachers are calling for a WI-FI Ban in schools they probably have not removed the microwaves from the staff room or the student cafeteria. It is very simplistic to want to ban what is not working out, because WI-FI causes student distraction more than a health concern. With cell phones active in the classroom, the competition for attention between what’s offered through technology and the teacher standing in the room instructing is a hands-down winner in favour of technology.
This quest is similar to what was never banned in the past but faced just as much controversy: are today’s students the worse for calculators and computers in the classroom? Of course not but now teachers are facing competition for student attention by a far more pervasive, constant and engaging source than their own persona. Creative use of WI-FI is all about re-inventing learning for today’s students using tools at their disposition. The challenge is keeping up with the ever changing needs of students and learning and what schools and teachers can offer. WI-FI will transcend institutions as it has in workplaces and public areas.
Source:
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/local-teachers-unions-in-ontario-latest-to-call-for-moratorium-on-wi-fi-use-in-schools
