Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Digital Sunscreen – What does your school do?

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

This is not a coherent post - not even close. But there is something interesting going on here. The core metaphor of 'digital sunscreen' is not defined (except for the fact that it lasts two hours). Meanwhile there is an undercurrent about teachers and tech leaders becoming part of the problem we're trying to solve. Then there's this: "I've been using the term edumedia sarcastically. The proper term is mission-driven marketing –  a way to turn awareness into action with those new to your product or to engage already-supportive people in deeper ways. It uses teachers, enlists paid and unpaid teachers and ex-teachers – to present itself as 'the future' in a duplicity of discussions and forms." Lovely.

There's a follow-up post today that helps a bit. Dean Groom writes, "I think I'll actively promote two hours a day (school+home) is an essential contract between parents and teachers." So I think the point is to limit screen time to two hours. Groom admits "Two hours a day is going to sound ridiculous to kids and adults alike." And the concern underlying the limit is this: " is dominated by the commercial agendas and belief of a few mega-brands – Apple, Google, and Microsoft. The 'social stream' of edumedia is seduced and propositioned by brands." He's not wrong - but the remedy needs to be fixed.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Apr 23, 2024 8:07 p.m.

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