I, thank goodness, am not considered part of the app generation. However, I am an avid user of technology, especially apps. I have found they streamline so many things I do in my every-day life. Right now, I am using an app that helped me create a holiday present shopping budget (mGifts), and I am loving it! Using apps has become such an essential part of my every day life that I can't even think about how I found information, played games, or organized my life before them! I grew up with no access to computers and had to actual use a card catalog to locate information for research papers!
I enjoyed the information provided in The App Generation, but didn't really like how the book was written. I think it was more of the voice the book was written in. With that being said, Gardner and Davis did provide some thoughtful information. One of the things discussed in the book was children's lack of imagination. Children are so used to the excitement and instant gratification they receive on their devices that when given verbal instruction, they struggle to use their imagination to generate responses. This is something I see almost every day in my classroom. In 6th grade math, we have added a Project Based Learning menu to each unit. Students can use a variety of apps (eg: PowToon. Piktochart, and Keynote) to create a visual of the current concept. Students have been struggling with using the content they learned and applying their imaginations to transform it into something visual. They also get frustrated quickly when they have to take time to work for their results. They think that because they are using an app, the answers should "just appear."
Another topic that I related to and even recognized in myself was the discussion on multi-tasking. Howard and Davis discussed our now "constant state of divided attention." This type of multi-tasking doesn't allow for deep and abstract thinking. Since I co-teach with three different teachers, I feel that I am constantly multi-tasking all day( actually, I don't think I know any teachers who don't multi-task). I find myself becoming more forgetful since I don't really get a chance to focus on one task at a time. I have resorted to writing post-it notes so I don't forget important information. Needless to say, my desk is filled with them!
The App Generation really made me think about this generation growing up now and their constant use of media. I hope that these children will realize that technology does enhance our lives and make a lot of tasks we do easier, but they shouldn't let it consume everything they do.
