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Tom Brush writes:
Drs. Healy, Sloan, and Roszak are stating what we in the educational
technology field have known for years: computers aren't very good
teachers. The problem is that they (and other critics of the use of
technology in educational settings) are focusing on the wrong
problem. No, computer's aren't very good teachers. They are, however,
excellent learning tools when used appropriately. Dr. Healy's comment
that "computers stifle learning and creativity" could just as
appropriately be applied to "educational" films and other common
classroom resources such as the blackboard, overhead projector,
textbooks, and certain library resources such as encyclopedias.
The point is that computers, when used appropriately in learning
situations, can offer students and teachers resources that would be
impractical or impossible to access in any other way. Do we really
want to bar access to children under the fourth, seventh, or ninth
grade (depending on which of the above authors you believe) with
access to some of the wonderful learning opportunities that this
technology can provide when used effectively? I think not!
For a glimpse of some of the learning possibilities technology can
offer, I urge interested readers to look at the projects coming out
of the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, the
Media Lab at
MIT, or the Center for Excellence in
Education at Indiana University.
In conclusion, I believe that "banning" computers from any student is
a mistake. While I don't believe that educators are necessarily using
technology appropriately with all students and in all situations,
there is tremendous potential for supporting new and exciting
learning activities. It's up to researchers, developers, and
educators to continue to strive towards more appropriate uses of
technology in K-12 settings.
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