computers and the classroom
deanesmay.com
By Dean
Andrew Cory notes a study which indicates that children with computers at home actually underperform kids without computers but lots of books at home.
Now I can think of some biases in such a study; parents who encourage learning in their kids will tend to be parents who have a lot of books around, whereas computers are increasingly just appliances. In other words, they might well conclude that "children with washing machines at home significantly underperform children with 500 or more books at home" because, well, the kids with the books will have parents who are bookish (i.e. smart).
All that aside, what the study clearly didn't find was any evidence that having access to computers helped in any way.
This in no way surprises me. I've been working with computers for nearly 25 years, and my first job was working on various computer programs in suburban Chicago schools. From the very beginning, until today, I have always been annoyed by the constant political push to "put more computers in the classroom." Indeed, sometimes people make a big deal out of how in some poor schools, "there is only one computer for every 10 pupils!" (or some other such supposedly scandalous ratio). What I keep asking is, "What good do the computers actually do for the students? What are they being used for?"
Rarely is there a clear answer. You'd think that would get more attention, wouldn't you?
No one could ever accuse me of being anti-technology. I've been using computers on a daily basis for decades. They're an integral part of my life. I'm a blogger, for God's sake. My wife and I have been known to settle argumetns between us via email just so we wouldn't get into yelling matches with each other.
So when I say, "what is with the push to get computers into the classroom?" I'm not anti-technology. I'm asking an honest, straightforward question: in what way are computers being used in the classroom to improve reading, writing, and arithmetic schools, improve knowledge of history, or increase critical thinking skills?
In most cases, while there is some good educational software, it's long been apparent to me that there's very little that a computer can do in a classroom that can't be done with good old fashioned books, pencils, paper, and chalk/whiteboards. |
