Has Technology Gone Too Far?

http://living.msn.com/family-parenting/the-family-room-blog-post?post=cad8ae09-6231-46b2-9a36-c779eeab897a
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/palm-scanners-to-pay-for-_n_1799735.html

Many parents have gotten extremely upset due to decisions being made for their children, without the consent from their parents. The first article mentioned above discusses how in many different schools in Baltimore have implemented a lunchtime pal scanner for children to pa for their lunch. It is said that this has been implemented in an attempt to save time from children paying for their lunches, being that they do not have much time to eat them. However, majority of the parents are upset.

First parents are upset because they were not informed of this new technology, and did not give any consent for their children to have their fingers and/or hands prints taken. The parents was given no choice of what their children would do and did not get a chance to opt out of it.

Most parents feel that this is too much and that it is an invasion of the child’s privacy. They feel that the schools went too far! Is this so?? Is technology just another way for “the government” to find out more information about those who are in the United States; whether they are illegal citizens, have a record etc… It is always the theory that the government is the “big brother” that tries to know everything about everyone. Wouldn’t this major shift to technology increase that suspicion??

Then, it is said that the finger/hand printing procedure was emplaced due to trying to speed up the process of children getting their lunches, in order for them to have more time enjoying them. However, what happens when a glitch rises in the machine? What if the child (especially kindergartners) cannot correctly put their finger and/or hand onto the scanner? How many times will they have to re-do the scan? How much time would this take from the children being able to enjoy their lunch?

Now, lets look at it from more of a teaching standpoint. When children have to buy things and utilize money, get change, and make sure that they give enough money and get enough change back, it allows them to apply what they learn in Math classes to their everyday lives. After implementing this new form of technology, then what? Children will only have to scan their hands? Instead of counting change, and using their brains? This subtracts from the entire purpose of education.

In my opinion, the purpose of an education is it educate children in order for them to have enough knowledge so that they can then be able to succeed in life and if not succeed, at least survive. The purpose is to be a productive citizen and to get to the sense where they can learn on their own. However, if the children are only glued to different forms of technology and is not actually applying what they learn to everyday scenarios, how can education serve its purpose?

Lastly, this article also mentions how the cost to implement this system will be $300,000, and that is merely for the Carroll County in Baltimore. Will this new form of technology be worth getting? I know that in this time, many people are advocating for the use of technology, however, I do not think that technology is needed for everything. Instead of jumping into it, I feel that better results will be produced once someone sit down and analyze everything, then decision which would produce the best results; technology or the application of education in everyday lives?