【Isthishappeninginyourneighborhood?Childrennotebookcomputersstuckundertheirarmsawaittheyellowbusforthetriptomiddleschool.Onthesurfacethequestionofcomputersinschoolsisano-brainer.Itwouldbestrange】
Isthishappeninginyourneighborhood?Childrennotebookcomputersstuckundertheirarms awaittheyellowbusforthetriptomiddleschool.Onthesurfacethequestionofcomputersin schoolsisano-brainer.Itwouldbestrangetoinsistthattoday’stechnologyshouldn’tbeusedtomaketheclassroomexperiencemoreindividualizedmoreeffectivemoreimmediatemoreexciting.Computershavebeeninschoolsmorethan20years---andprobablyevendonesomegood.
ButtheideaofapersonalcomputerasanecessarydailytoolforeveryAmericangrammarschoolpupilisaltogetheradifferentthing.Beawareoftheseeminglyattractivevisionof10-year-oldsdoingmostoftheirwork---andhomework---onacomputer.Itisanotherillusorysilverbullet(虚幻的能迅速解决问题的捷径之道)thatpromisestosolveallofsociety’sillsthroughtechnology.Regardlessofwhetherparentsortaxpayersbuythemachineryit’sbadpolicy.
Determiningtheproperroleofcomputersinschoolsistooimportanttobelefttocomputersuppliersandeducators.Aneducatedpublicwithclearandrealisticexpectationsneedstohelpdeterminetherighttrackfortechnology.
Educatorsforeverseemtoseektheultimateinteachingtools.Theyarealwayspreoccupiedwithinnovation---juniorhighschoolnewmathwholelanguageopenclassroomsandmasterylearningtonameafew.Someideasturnedoutwellandovertimehaveearnedpermanentpositionsinoureducationsystems.Otherreflectedchangeforchanges’sakeandwoundupinthetrashbinwheretheybelong.
Exactlywhatistobesolvedwithcomputersinschools?Arewelookingtoimproveinstructionalcapacityandflexibility?Arewetryingtomaketeachersandaidsmoreproductivebylettingstudentstakeadvantageofprogrammedlearningtools?Thisallsoundsgoodandmuchhasbeenaccomplishedwithcomputer-assistedinstruction.
Butthat’snotthesameasmakingthecomputerasymbolofwell-temperededucationalpolicy.There’sdangerinthemessagethatachildisnotfullyeducatedifheorshecan’tsurftheWorld WideWebskillfullymovearoundinWindowsortheFounderuseawordprocessingprogramorprograminLogoorBasic.
Theseskillscanbelearnedoutsidetheclassroom.Worsethetimeittakesstudentstoacquirethemistimestolenfrom