Computer Delusion(al)?

The Computer Delusion by Todd Oppenheimer

This article talks about the country's push towards spending millions on integrating more computers and technology into the classroom while cutting programs such as music, art and phys. ed. It frames the argument that schools are not keeping up with the times and that although we are spending lots of hard earned tax dollars on these technological programs and high powered "machines", we are not seeing many results. To quote, "In the classroom, however, teachers never really embraced the new tools, and no significant academic improvement occurred." Precisely. We keep cutting human jobs and replacing them with all this fabulous technology thinking we are cutting costs and delivering the same, quality product. Wrong.

While we are integrating more and more technology into the classroom, (let's be honest here, technology is very present in all of our lives and it would be foolish to deprive our children from using and learning through technology because they are probably more fluent growing up with it than we are), we need to remember that a teacher's job can never be replaced by a machine. Nor can a teacher ever replace a machine's added support to the classroom. It is the happy medium between the two that we will find the most effective and most efficient learning process. In the next few years there will be more of a push to integrate this technology, but with any large investment people are going to want to rest assure that their money is being put into good use and thus see a return on their investment. Teachers: we need to embrace this technology. Though it will never replace a good book, technology: is what the children these days fluently speak. Not to mention as adults we reference and use technology to support our daily lives and we need to encourage the students to reference and use the technology not as a toy, but as a scaffolding to build upon an education..