The Computer Delusion

Well my first impression of this article was hoe much I agree with part of the first statement (right under the title). Schools are cutting many programs that truly enrich students' lives. I can't say for sure that they are all doing so to make room for computers in every class though. It seems to me that more emphasis is being put on english and math (at least in Connecticut) due to CAPT testing. Those points are slightly irrelevant though.

The bigger picture here is that for years people have been predicting what new piece of technology is going to come around that will revolutionize education, and erase the blackboard. Last I checked, just about every classroom still has one (or a whiteboard) and it gets used everyday. It seems that all too often, people become so enamored with using the "cool new tech toy" that they choose to use it regardless as to whether or not it will really benefit the students. They want to use it because it looks cool and will make their teaching "cool". It is very similar to an example made in class about students using powerpoint, and getting too caught up in all the different animations and add-on thing to make a presentation with little content seem much better than it really is.

Good teaching is good teaching. If using a smart board with a ton of bells and whistles helps the student's learn, then great. However, lets try not to overcomplicate things and reinvent the wheel. Sometimes a simple class discussion works and time is more efficient if notes are quickly written on a black/whiteboard and all the students write it down. Sometimes classic is really the way to go.