Rage Against The Machines
A few months ago, a teacher at my school recommended a book he read to me. The book is called High- Tech Heretic: Reflections of a Computer Contrarian. In a nutshell, it is one man's perspective on how schools are overly obsessed with making our children computer literate instead of literate, period.
As if the topic itself wasn't fascinating enough, consider, if you will, the source.
The teacher who gave this book to me ironically, is the computer teacher at my school.
Here's a book -all about how the high tech world is too hyped up and- the person who agrees most with this sentiment is more or less, working for "the devil".
High-Tech Heretic attempts to explain how too much emphasis is being placed on computers and their importance, so much so that we are losing sight of the bigger picture. As someone who has a direct link to both the so-called computer age with this blog and future of our youth, as a teacher, I feel I can play the cushy role of devil's advocate.
1. One thing the book states is there is a difference between having access to information and having the savvy it takes to interpret it. In other words, just because children are hip to high-tech ways does not mean they are any smarter than you or I.
If you've ever seen a child playing around on the computer, you'd know what I mean. Sure they might know how to double click, surf the web, and play a computer game faster than we could, but does that really make them smarter? If you want to know for sure, just have a conversation with a child when they are playing a computer game. More often than not they are clicking on images and links, hoping something will work. Eventually, they get the problem(s) right, but if you ask them to explain their rationale, (of course, without actually using the word rationale, duh) they can't. They just played around, banging the keyboard or clicking the mouse until they got it right.
2. Another topic the book explores is that most learing is just not fun. As a modern day teacher, we are taught to make our lessons more interactive and engaging. The more bells and whistles, the more entertained our students will be.
But does entertainment necessarily lead to enlightenment? When I was a kid, not all that long ago, we had some fun, but some things we just had to sit down and study. Multiplication facts, for instance. Sure, we can play all of these fun, online games but the bottom line is this. Anyone who wants to know their multiplication facts has to do one thing and one thing only. Are you ready? That is to M-E-M-O-R-I-Z-E. I had to do it. My parents had to do it. Their parents had to do it. The cavemen would have even done it, if they had known what it was. If we cater to these kids and make everything entertaining, they are going to be in for a rude awakening once they hit the real world.
3. Also in the book it says an inspiring teacher doesn't need computers and a mediocre teacher isn't improved by one. When I was in college, I thought for sure my classroom would be much more high-tech than what it is today. But then I saw the time constraints and the unrealistic expectations administrators put on teachers. On a high school level it might be a different story, but in my neck of the woods, computer based activities are often time consuming, not to mention fruitless.
The fact of the matter is that most of the software out there for kids is not all that inspired. It's amazing really. As far as I can tell, the market is wide open. I have some great ideas of how to marry the video game age and educational software that I'm actually surprised no one thought of it yet. It just might make me famous one day. Baby, remember my name.
4. Computers are expensive. Don't get me wrong. I love computers as much as the next guy. But as a teacher who has been at the mercy of a penny pinching budget I gotta ask, what is more important? That every classroom have computers or that every classroom have teachers? I know computers have come a long way, but I'd like to believe the answer is the latter.
The more and more emphasis we put on learning about computers, be it at the college level or even the elementary level, the less teachers we will ultimately need. But isn't part of learning the human interaction?
Another example. My district invested in a costly system to help catalog all videos and mainstream such processes as attendance and pupil grades. But there are so many quirks with the system that we were better off not having it. If I want to watch a video in my classroom, which is equipped with a television, I have to go through a set of 15 steps to get there. Thanks, but I think I'll just borrow the downright old-fashioned television on wheels from another teacher instead.
5. Sometimes less is more. Many times I will give my students a written assignment. For those that actually do it one of their first questions will be, can we do it on the computer?
Let me remind you that I teach third grade. Word processing is minimal. They do not know how to type and have to clumsily search for the right letter, or at least a letter they hope is right considering they often aren't certain how to spell the word, yet. Like I said, they are only in third grade.
They also don't know how to properly research for a report or save work they have produced. In one 45 minute session they might figure out how to mispell their name in 48 point italic rainbow font, but when it comes to getting their ideas down on paper they need to start with...paper.
Don't get me wrong. I like computers as much as the next blogger. But giving a child too much reign on a computer is just an accident waiting to happen. You wouldn't hand a rifle to someone without teaching them how to shoot, right? You also wouldn't hand alcohol, drugs or a car over to a minor and expect them to figure it out on their own. They're kids, they need guidance.
I'm not saying you need a license to type, but you should at least know where you're going on the superhighway of information.
As if the topic itself wasn't fascinating enough, consider, if you will, the source.
The teacher who gave this book to me ironically, is the computer teacher at my school.
Here's a book -all about how the high tech world is too hyped up and- the person who agrees most with this sentiment is more or less, working for "the devil".
High-Tech Heretic attempts to explain how too much emphasis is being placed on computers and their importance, so much so that we are losing sight of the bigger picture. As someone who has a direct link to both the so-called computer age with this blog and future of our youth, as a teacher, I feel I can play the cushy role of devil's advocate.
1. One thing the book states is there is a difference between having access to information and having the savvy it takes to interpret it. In other words, just because children are hip to high-tech ways does not mean they are any smarter than you or I.
If you've ever seen a child playing around on the computer, you'd know what I mean. Sure they might know how to double click, surf the web, and play a computer game faster than we could, but does that really make them smarter? If you want to know for sure, just have a conversation with a child when they are playing a computer game. More often than not they are clicking on images and links, hoping something will work. Eventually, they get the problem(s) right, but if you ask them to explain their rationale, (of course, without actually using the word rationale, duh) they can't. They just played around, banging the keyboard or clicking the mouse until they got it right.
2. Another topic the book explores is that most learing is just not fun. As a modern day teacher, we are taught to make our lessons more interactive and engaging. The more bells and whistles, the more entertained our students will be.
But does entertainment necessarily lead to enlightenment? When I was a kid, not all that long ago, we had some fun, but some things we just had to sit down and study. Multiplication facts, for instance. Sure, we can play all of these fun, online games but the bottom line is this. Anyone who wants to know their multiplication facts has to do one thing and one thing only. Are you ready? That is to M-E-M-O-R-I-Z-E. I had to do it. My parents had to do it. Their parents had to do it. The cavemen would have even done it, if they had known what it was. If we cater to these kids and make everything entertaining, they are going to be in for a rude awakening once they hit the real world.
3. Also in the book it says an inspiring teacher doesn't need computers and a mediocre teacher isn't improved by one. When I was in college, I thought for sure my classroom would be much more high-tech than what it is today. But then I saw the time constraints and the unrealistic expectations administrators put on teachers. On a high school level it might be a different story, but in my neck of the woods, computer based activities are often time consuming, not to mention fruitless.
The fact of the matter is that most of the software out there for kids is not all that inspired. It's amazing really. As far as I can tell, the market is wide open. I have some great ideas of how to marry the video game age and educational software that I'm actually surprised no one thought of it yet. It just might make me famous one day. Baby, remember my name.
4. Computers are expensive. Don't get me wrong. I love computers as much as the next guy. But as a teacher who has been at the mercy of a penny pinching budget I gotta ask, what is more important? That every classroom have computers or that every classroom have teachers? I know computers have come a long way, but I'd like to believe the answer is the latter.
The more and more emphasis we put on learning about computers, be it at the college level or even the elementary level, the less teachers we will ultimately need. But isn't part of learning the human interaction?
Another example. My district invested in a costly system to help catalog all videos and mainstream such processes as attendance and pupil grades. But there are so many quirks with the system that we were better off not having it. If I want to watch a video in my classroom, which is equipped with a television, I have to go through a set of 15 steps to get there. Thanks, but I think I'll just borrow the downright old-fashioned television on wheels from another teacher instead.
5. Sometimes less is more. Many times I will give my students a written assignment. For those that actually do it one of their first questions will be, can we do it on the computer?
Let me remind you that I teach third grade. Word processing is minimal. They do not know how to type and have to clumsily search for the right letter, or at least a letter they hope is right considering they often aren't certain how to spell the word, yet. Like I said, they are only in third grade.
They also don't know how to properly research for a report or save work they have produced. In one 45 minute session they might figure out how to mispell their name in 48 point italic rainbow font, but when it comes to getting their ideas down on paper they need to start with...paper.
Don't get me wrong. I like computers as much as the next blogger. But giving a child too much reign on a computer is just an accident waiting to happen. You wouldn't hand a rifle to someone without teaching them how to shoot, right? You also wouldn't hand alcohol, drugs or a car over to a minor and expect them to figure it out on their own. They're kids, they need guidance.
I'm not saying you need a license to type, but you should at least know where you're going on the superhighway of information.
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