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Digital Enhancements or Expensive Distractions?

Posted by timothy on from the please-knock-still-investigating-vile-pornography dept.

markmcb writes "Berkeley and USC have teamed up to launch a $3.3 million study over 3 years that hopes to shed some light on how today's kids are interacting with technology and the effects that it is having on education. The study aims to determine if digital devices such as computers and cell phones are shaping the way that teenagers obtain and process information. But given the price tag and the goals of the project, how much can this project actually help education? Has anyone out there in the high school level education field seen digital systems improve the classroom to the point that students actually learn more, or do they just tend to be fascinating distractions that detract from the classroom?"

6 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. Cliff Stoll has something to say about this... by helixcode123 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I happen to be, at this very time, reading High-tech Heretic by Cliff Stoll. Much of the book gives a compelling case as to why computers in the class and libraries are sucking vital time, energy, and financial resources. Recommended reading.

    --

    In a band? Use WheresTheGig for free.

  2. Clifford Stoll by Lord+Byron+II · · Score: 2, Informative

    Clifford Stoll is the Berkeley astrophysicist who caught a German hacker breaking into multiple government computer systems; "The Cuckoo's Egg" is his book detailing the fascinating tale of how he caught the hacker. Despite his knowledge and usage of computers on a daily basis, he is a strong advocate of keeping computers out of the classroom. I recommend "High Tech Heretic: Why Computers Don't Belong in Schools" to anyone; it's a thin book and actually won't take more than a couple of hours to breeze through. But, it will make you think.

  3. Re:Computers or Teachers by bob_calder · · Score: 2, Informative

    Computers come out of capital improvement funds.
    Better to ask about the ratio of administrators to teachers.

    --
    Any preoccupation with ideas of what is right or wrong in conduct shows an arrested intellectual development. (Wilde)
  4. Distractions... by schleyfox · · Score: 2, Informative

    I go to a technology magnet high school where we have 1.6 computers to users. Do we ever use them, fuck no thank you kindly. Sure we whip them out when business scouts come around our town, but other than that hardly. When we do use them, we use word and powerpoint, nothing else. Nothing new or inventive is done, you have a spiral notebook emulator and a flashcard like system which 90% of the students horribly abuse (I swear if I have to fucking watch another slideshow with paragraphs of font one shade off from the background where custom animation and sounds tie it all together, soemthign will die). If we are really lucky we will get to use the intarweb, all 2 sites that aren't blocked.
    Technology could be used effectively in schools and learning, but its not. The teachers do not have the training or the inclination. The admins are generally clueless MCSEdroids (not all I know a few very competent admins, but none at my school). We don't even have classes on basic programming. Our servers were going to be switched over to apache, but the admins couldn't figure out how to get it installed (My illiterate friend managed it). There is a longer and better rant at my friends website http://sangxanta.org/archives/2005/02/problems_wit h_m.html
    and the school website (and it was just made to be viewed in alternative browsers by some pissed off students who like firefox, admins couldn't)
    http://web.dps.k12.va.us/galileo/

    1. Re:Distractions... by bob_calder · · Score: 2, Informative

      I teach at in a technology magnet department in a high school in Fort Lauderdale. We have three labs running Win 2k (apps, electronics, robotics), one running Fedora (programming), and three running OSX (apps, graphics, multimedia.) All classrooms using the machines to deliver instruction, complete projects, and run testing. Our school district has outreach to people from industry who want to go into teaching, so they have a huge support system for pedagogy.

      BTW, Firefox is not an alternative browser. It is standards compliant.

      --
      Any preoccupation with ideas of what is right or wrong in conduct shows an arrested intellectual development. (Wilde)
  5. Re:Computer technology in schools by Don+Philip · · Score: 2, Informative
    Well, there are a number actually Jonassen (1996) gives the most thorough survey, but, of course, having been written in 1996 means that it is a little out of date. Here's short list:
    • Inspiration (www.inspiration.com): This is a concept mapping tool.
    • LOGO (a programming language for children-http://www.microworlds.com/): This is designed by Seymour Papert Mindstorms) and intended to teach children mathematics and logical processes.
    • Knowledge Forum (www.ikit.org): This is an online learning environment with metacognitive supports to make children realize the thought processes they are using when they learn and build new knowledge> [Disclaimer: I work on this project.]
    • Simulations of various kinds. I have used SimEarth successfully with Gr. 6 classes and senior high school classes to teach ecological principles. There are a number of applications for commercial computer simulations and other commercial programs. See http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/04/15/spark.teach ing/ for a very recent article about using computer games in classrooms.


    References
    Jonassen, D. (1996). Computers in the classroom. Mind tools for critical thinking. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.