The idea of having a one to one program in schools has always had me uneasy. Growing up I was raised on the idea that television and computers will rot your brain. Moving away from such a sentiment has been difficult for me. Certainly, I can see the benefits of using television and computers in the classroom. Both can open the doors for students.
My fear about having computers in the classroom is that they will become overused. It can be very easy for a teacher to rely too heavily on the power of computer. Rather, teachers aren't using them as tools, they are using them as a babysitter or teacher in lieu of themselves. Overuse of computers could have a negative connotation. Students who type on a computer instead of writing things out are not gaining the necessary motor skills that come with writing. Students who perform science experiments through the computer instead of by hand may be robbed of the expereince that comes with tactile learning.
Of course, I can see the allure of computers. I don't think that we shouldn't use computers in the classroom, I just think that they must be viewed as a tool--not a be all end all solution to everything in the classroom. A healthy balance will prove beneficial for all types of students and all types of learners.
About Me
- Sam
- I have a fish named Gus. I like macaroni and cheese, I hate Lola Tilly Commons food, I wish i could play the tuba, I like theatre, rain in the summertime is the best type of weather ever. Someday I hope to travel to Egypt and look at the pyramids. I want to have a ladybug farm. I want to live in the country and in the city. I want to have a hammock under an apple tree. I want to stargaze and own a llama. I'm afraid of dinosaurs. I like strawberry icecream, but I don't like plain strawberries. I dislike the noise of styrofoam. I don't like slow walkers who purposefully walk in front of me. I wish i had more patience, I wish i could show more tolerance
2 comments:
Probably the worst assumption we can make about the use of computers in schools is that there is some sort of intrinsic value in simply using them even if that use is trivial or ineffective. That's clearly not the case, and I would hope that no one would advocate giving every student a laptop without making sure that teachers understood the tool, understood how to teach with the tool, and understood how to evaluate student work produced with the tool.
Of course, the opposite is also true. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with television or computers. Having them around doesn't rot your brain--it's how they may be used that causes that. Television can be a fantastic learning tool, but if you use it to babysit your children while they watch sitcoms, you'll suffer the consequences.
You're right about the tool use of computers. That's why the Denali Borough folks are so successful.
I understand where you are coming from, but never looked at it this way. Interesting... I agree that computers should be used as a tool, and not to be dependant on them! Good ideas. - Janet
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