[edi581] Stoll article
- From: "Amy Kruppenbacher" <amykruppenbacher@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: edi581@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2003 07:54:36 -0500
This article opened my eyes to the other position on computers in the
classroom. I always saw computers as an asset to classrooms nowadays. Stoll
made many strong arguments about the negatives including how computers are
being used for "busy" work or "seatwork." Although I am currently not
teaching, when I was student teaching both of my schools turned their
libraryinto a "media center." This did not reduce the amount of room for
books, nor did it push the books into the closets. Stoll also argued that
computers are to blame for students not being able to read, write or think
analytically. It makes no sense to me at all, how someone could blame this
onthe use of computers in the classroom. Students have been struggling with
reading , writing, and analytically thinking problems well before computers
were invented. One part that really upset me was when Stoll was asked about
exposing children to things they could not access in their geographic area,
and he responded with how computers cannot provide experiences. My class I
worked with actually went on a "cyber" field trip to China during a Social
Studies unit. This would have never been possible without computers. They
also still had a field trip to Wegmans Wokery, and paid to have someone come
in from China to show them cultural items. All this was done, and computers
did not take away field trip funds. I think Stoll has taken something
positive and twisted it around, only showing one perspective. Obviously
everything has a very positive and very negative side to it. I think that he
is being blind to the fact that computers can be great resources in the
classroom. My final opinion is that computers are excellent tools for
students. Yes, they can be overused just as any teaching instrument. But,
computer programs can give students immediate feedback or extra help on a
topic if the teacher is tied up with a number of students. This is much
better than a child sitting there at his or her desk working on a worksheet,
that they don't even know if they are doing correctly.
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