Students need to be prepared for the challenges of the high-tech 21st century, right?
And schools are supposed to prepare students, right?
So schools should have students start using computers and technology as soon as possible, right?
Maybe not......
Lowell Monke makes a good argument that perhaps immersing students in computers throughout their entire educational process may not only not be a good idea, it may be harming the student. What students really need, he argues, is to have a good foundation in non-technological areas first, before they are ever presented with the challenges that go hand-in-hand with the power available in high technology. Students need to be solid with ideas like:
- Commitment
- Loyalty
- Tradition
Obtaining these qualities, Monke argues, is accomplished through real experiences with real people, and not with unfeeling, uncritical, un-personable machines. Only after laying such a foundation will a student be in a position to make ethical choices about the use of technology. Similarly, such a student will know that they do not need technology to learn, but will rather view technology as a tool for their learning.
It is quite refreshing to see someone thinking critically about the use of computers in the classroom -- someone willing to *gasp* take computers out of the classroom. Monke's analogy of teaching a six year old to drive because they will need to know how to operate a care in order to participate in society is an excellent illustration of his point. I also agree that software is in such a state of flux still that trying to keep a student current throughout their entire pre-collegiate education is both ridiculous and unnecessary. Let's help kids develop into people who have the ability to choose their own path before we imprint on them the supremacy of technology.
