I was on a hike in August when one of my hiking companions bent down to the dusty path to examine a thumb-size black beetle. My fellow hiker, Harry Barker-Fost, stared at the chunky insect as it crawled onto his hand and then over and around his forearm for the better part of three minutes.
Could his comfort with nature and his intense focus and curiosity have something to do with the fact that Harry, age 12, rarely uses technology? Thats what Harrys parents think.
Harry attends the Greenwood School in Mill Valley, which doesnt use computers of any kind in class and discourages their use at home. The idea is inspired by Waldorf teaching principals, as outlined technologyin an article we published today.
Harrys father, Dan, wrote a terrific article about Waldorfs relationship with technology, which helped inspire our piece today. Dan is a friend and freelance writer, who has occasionally written for The Times, and recently put out a book about the San Francisco Giants.
His job entails relying on lots of technology — the laptop, of course, the iPhone. “Technology is such a part of life,” he said. “Its like furniture in our house.
But like other parents who send their children to schools built around Waldorf principles, Dan said he didnt worry that he was setting Harry back by keeping the bits and bytes at arms length.
“The devices are so easy to learn now,” Dan said of Harry. “Ive got zero doubt he can function in the high-tech world. I often think about how Steve Jobs and Bill Gates didnt grow up with technology.
By contrast, Dan thinks that Harry learns invaluable early-life lessons by being in an environment that emphasizes engaging with a teacher and being in nature (at his school, classes tend to spend a half-day each week on a field trip in nature, like hiking). Dan thinks Harry tends to take his time, examine his surroundings and the people hes with (or the beetles) and not be so susceptible to switching from one task to the next. Some technology evidence suggests that heavy technology use, for all its extraordinary benefits, can shorten attention span.
Dan does have one worry, though: that limiting Harrys technology use will make the young man crave the forbidden.
Thats not usually the case, but every once in a while, Harry gets hold of a device and digs in. For instance, Dan says hell be driving in the car and hand Harry the phone. “Ill ask him to call his mother to tell her well be home shortly, Dan said. “Hell make the call and hang up and then things will get really quiet in the back seat.
“After a little bit, Ill say, ‘Hey, whats going on back there?’ And Harry will say, ‘Dad, Ive got to show you this cool new app.’
Could his comfort with nature and his intense focus and curiosity have something to do with the fact that Harry, age 12, rarely uses technology? Thats what Harrys parents think.
Harry attends the Greenwood School in Mill Valley, which doesnt use computers of any kind in class and discourages their use at home. The idea is inspired by Waldorf teaching principals, as outlined technologyin an article we published today.
Harrys father, Dan, wrote a terrific article about Waldorfs relationship with technology, which helped inspire our piece today. Dan is a friend and freelance writer, who has occasionally written for The Times, and recently put out a book about the San Francisco Giants.
His job entails relying on lots of technology — the laptop, of course, the iPhone. “Technology is such a part of life,” he said. “Its like furniture in our house.
But like other parents who send their children to schools built around Waldorf principles, Dan said he didnt worry that he was setting Harry back by keeping the bits and bytes at arms length.
“The devices are so easy to learn now,” Dan said of Harry. “Ive got zero doubt he can function in the high-tech world. I often think about how Steve Jobs and Bill Gates didnt grow up with technology.
By contrast, Dan thinks that Harry learns invaluable early-life lessons by being in an environment that emphasizes engaging with a teacher and being in nature (at his school, classes tend to spend a half-day each week on a field trip in nature, like hiking). Dan thinks Harry tends to take his time, examine his surroundings and the people hes with (or the beetles) and not be so susceptible to switching from one task to the next. Some technology evidence suggests that heavy technology use, for all its extraordinary benefits, can shorten attention span.
Dan does have one worry, though: that limiting Harrys technology use will make the young man crave the forbidden.
Thats not usually the case, but every once in a while, Harry gets hold of a device and digs in. For instance, Dan says hell be driving in the car and hand Harry the phone. “Ill ask him to call his mother to tell her well be home shortly, Dan said. “Hell make the call and hang up and then things will get really quiet in the back seat.
“After a little bit, Ill say, ‘Hey, whats going on back there?’ And Harry will say, ‘Dad, Ive got to show you this cool new app.’
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