I wrote this in 12th grade. Aside from the silly ending and high-school level writing, I stand by the content, 20 years later.
APRIL 10, 2001
For better or worse, computers have rapidly changed society in recent years. Although the benefits of using computers for teaching are highly touted, resulting in a frantic movement to equip students with the latest technology, the problems with increased computer use in schools are often ignored or misunderstood. A typical eleven-year-old student displays an effect of computer use in schools by remarking that, “Reading books is boring and it takes too long. Searching the Web is faster and more fun because we can get sound recordings, like of a dolphin’s sounds, or a video of the discovery of the bow of the Titanic.”1 As attitudes such as this one become the norm, America’s educational system faces the daunting task of teaching a generation of attention-impaired youth.
Computer use during a child’s early ages may lead to long-lasting developmental problems. Dr. Jane Healy, an educational psychologist and teacher, remarks that, “Time spent with computers in the early years not only subtracts from important developmental tasks but may also entrench bad learning habits, leading to poor motivation and even symptoms of learning disability.”2 Prolonged computer use can cause vision, posture, and coordination problems. More importantly, children lose the vital face-to-face contact and social interaction which has been proven necessary to healthy emotional and mental development. Dr. Healy even suggests that children under the age of seven “...are better off spending time in a physically and linguistically enriched environment”3 than they are spending time in front of a computer.
Children in grammar school face similar developmental problems. As children begin to develop the ability to think abstractly, they need human guidance regarding morals and problem-solving strategies. Because they have not fully developed reasoning skills, they are particularly at risk to misleading information from the Internet and software. Allowing children to roam the networks unattended, which is often the case in under-staffed classrooms, permits reliable commercial marketing to children’s gullible minds.
Computers also can have a negative impact on high school teenagers’ development. In recent years, an increasing number of teenagers are showing symptoms similar to autism. Research indicates a direct relationship between excessive computer use and emotional and social retardation of some children. Dr. Healy points out that, “In extreme cases...too much virtual life can bypass critical experiences and result in lasting handicaps.”4 Feelings of isolation and a lack of strong relationships cause students to withdraw from reality in favor of a more controllable medium such as computers and the Internet. Computer expert and contrarian Clifford Stoll observes that, “...a generation of network surfers is becoming adept at navigating the electronic backwaters, while losing touch with the world around them.”5
Computers are often used solely for entertainment in schools. Because children already use computers at home for gaming purposes, they are taught to expect some form of entertainment from computers. With the Internet becoming increasingly commercialized, students spend more time playing games than doing research. Author Brian Hecht remarks that, “It is too late to establish the web as a primarily educational medium. Kids already know how to use the web, and they are not using it to search for transcripts of the McCarthy hearings, but to download pictures of Jenny McCarthy.”6
Current teaching software is ineffective. Much of today’s teaching software is programmed by large firms on tight budgets and tighter deadlines. As a result, child psychologists and teachers are rarely hired as consultants, leading to software that amounts to little more than special-effect laden flashcards. In effect, computers become expensive tools for rote memorization and knowledge of trivia and facts. Other programs which allow students to draw or create original stories are arguably less effective than simple pen and paper. Stoll notices the often overlooked fact that, “A lot of children’s software won’t let kids save their own work,” adding, “...popular programs often assume that nothing a child does is worth preserving.”7
Relying heavily on computer use in classrooms de-emphasizes the critical relationship between a teacher and student. Stoll states that “...students deserve personal contact with instructors - interactive videos and remote broadcasts are no substitute for studying under a fired up teacher who’s there in person.”8 Computers add a layer of abstraction between teacher and student which removes important human feedback that children need when learning new concepts. As a result, students do not receive sufficient encouragement, leading to feelings of hopelessness, unenthusiasm, and lack of interest in school. Also, teachers provide more personal interaction and specialized instruction than computers can achieve.
Increased spending on computers forces school districts to eliminate many important programs and activities. Art and music curricula are quickly being phased out in favor of computer classes. Dr. Healy claims that “...experiences in the arts and physical education motivate students, increase overall brain power, and support curriculum...”9 But instead of increasing funding in the arts and field trips, school systems eliminate these time-honored teaching programs and replace them with untested, hastily planned computer courses. Other courses such as driver’s education and home economics have been virtually eliminated even though the skills they teach remain relevant.
Maintaining computers leads to further budget constraints. Computers become obsolete after just a few years, forcing schools into costly upgrades merely to run the “improved,” expensive software. Networking computers causes a perpetual upgrade problem since older wires must be replaced whenever higher capacity cables are introduced. Also, if there is any teacher training, the teachers must be retrained every time the computers and networks change.
Teachers who are well trained with computers and technology have a better chance of successfully utilizing computers in the classroom. Dr. Healy insists that, “Teachers must have access to the equipment and time to practice while they are learning about it.”10 Merely equipping classrooms with technology does not guarantee positive results. Trained teachers who can seamlessly integrate computers with other media enrich the learning process and create powerful lessons that not only teach students concepts but also help students retain the ideas.
Creating more effective software can turn computers into useful teaching tools. The most important goal for software companies should be cooperation with teachers and psychologists to create programs that actually help the learning process. Schools need software that is more than simply a glorified video game. Rather, effective software allows the student to use his own mind to solve complex problems instead of simple multiple choice, fact-retention questions. Once such software becomes available, independent researchers will evaluate the programs and consult with school systems to customize the software to the curriculum.
More local school board planning will lead to effective deployment of computers in each grade level. Collaboration among the schools in a district to formulate a real agenda concerning computers provides direction where there currently is none. School districts can create local networks which link students with parents and teachers while providing a “safe” area for children to access. Policy makers should compile lists of standardized, economical hardware and software and distribute the equipment efficiently and equally among the schools. Also, in order to maintain an entire district’s computer systems, outside consultants or locally hired technology experts are required to ensure the computers do not become a nuisance because of constant malfunctions.
An extreme solution to computer problems is elimination of computers in certain grades. Computers in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade may do more harm than good, according to current research. As a result, schools districts may find that removing computers from those classes and diverting spending on more “traditional” items such as books and art supplies will solve many of the emotional and mental problems which older children display. Dr. Healy believes that children younger than seven years old are particularly susceptible to developmental difficulties, although more research is needed to fully understand the effects computers have on developing children.
In conclusion, today’s cultural value of effortless achievement should not tarnish education’s role as purveyor of wisdom to millions of America’s children. While some benefits of computer use are evident, the negative aspects have been creeping through our society relatively unnoticed. We have a responsibility for our future, and rushing onto the bandwagon of the Internet in the name of progress may send us careening over the ridge quicker than you can say, “Control-Alt-Delete.”
Footnotes
1 Jane Healy, Failure to Connect, (New York, Simon and Schuster, 1998), p. 32.
5 Clifford Stoll, Silicon Snake Oil, (New York, Doubleday, 1995), p. 136.
6 Brian Hecht, “Clinton’s Internet Delusion,” The New Republic, (February 17,1997), p. 3.
Bibliography
Healy, Jane, Failure to Connect, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1998.
Hecht, Brian, “Clinton’s Internet Delusion,” The New Republic, February 17, 1997, at Electric Library.
Stoll, Clifford, High Tech Heretic, New York, Doubleday, 1999.
____, Silicon Snake Oil, New York, Doubleday, 1995.
“Computers in the Classroom,” All Things Considered, NPR, November 25, 1998, at Electric Library.