High Tech Heretic: Intro – Multimedia comics

I have been reading High Tech Heretic and from the introduction to Multimedia comics it has been nothing but a negative viewpoint at computers in the classroom.  Stoll does have a point in some of what he says.  

 He mentions replacing teachers with computers  which is not  an improvement however there can be a balance from either extreme. For example, when a teacher tries to use technology and it doesn’t work like it should she loses a large part of the 50 minutes she has with that particular group of students. That does happen at times and if it happens too often tit has a negative effect by taking up too much classtime and should be modified.  Technology should only enhance the lessons not replace them.  There are benefits  such as collaborating with students from other schools in other states or countries or students conducting research. So I don’t totally agree with him but I also don’t think he is wrong either just a bit negative.

The Literate Ludite  addresses the idea that we must make all students computer literate before they graduate. Stoll argues that just because the computers are everywhere that schools don’t need to incorporate them into the curriculum. He made sense to me when he compares  it to adding Drivers education to the school day because automobiles are everywhere. According to him  schools are now dropping the Drivers Ed courses because students will learn how to drive without it and they will also learn to use the computer without adding it to the curriculum.

He is so adamant that computers in the classroom  are a waste of resources that I wonder why we are trying to earn an educational technology degree to teach it!  I hope his outlook changes because up to the point where I’m at which is at the beginning of CRTs for Tots he has yet to say anything positive about computers in the classroom.  In some ways I see his point and tend to agree that computers are not to be used as a replacement for a teacher who teaches content. However,  I feel that there are many wonderful resources for teachers to utilize to enhance a lesson.

Students do love the interaction they have with computer activities but according to Stoll they are just being entertained not educated. They are not learning anything of substance like they do from traditional resources like books which computers are supposed to replace.  He insists that given the choice most students will take the easy way out and play useless games on the computer rather than actually be challenged by reading and analyzing true classic literature or learning chemistry  in a science lab with a teacher.

Another comparison made was that it would cost less in the long run to buy a laptop computer for each student than to buy textbooks. That turned out to be unreal due to upkeep of computers and the life span for computers  due to dated software and new technology making them obsolete much quicker than first presumed. Not to mention the cost of connecting the schools to internet and the upkeep of all the new technology. Up to now this is a very negative outlook toward computer use in the schools and technology for students.  He continues to spotlignt all the negatives of technology advancements.  I hope this changes… – I will continue reading …later.  I need to focus on some positives of technology in the classroom for awhile.