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Subject: Textbooks will be Laptops...sort of?
Posted By: Louie G.
Date: February 19, 1999 at 13:58:17

While I do agree that technology is moving rapidly, alas, education is not! There is a multiplier effect of the fallacy of technology in education. (Mr. R does touch on some) Two basic keys to consider is as follows:
1. Those who were trained with Content are those who have mastered the technologies. As a technocrat and a parent, one of the most alarming problems is to see a dynamic lack of typing preparation, inability to spell on paper without a 'spellchecker' and more importantly - no focus in edutainment on detailed CONTENT. I travel around the world meeting with educators and in Hong Kong, and Singapore their focus has always been...CONTENT - technology as only an enabler. When the US finally gets it right - Content FIRST, Technology SECOND, then perhaps we'll stand a chance to compete intellecutally with our global counter parts.
2. Another aspect of Laptops vs. books is the issue of high tech anxiety. There is a cultural activity that deals with the haves vs. have nots. This issue will relieve itself later; but not while parents are interfering with their childs projects by crafting excellent presentations for their children.(My wife is also a teacher in a high-tech school and this is quite an embarassing observation.)

Laptops will replace books; but initially in the areas of humanities type textual reading. The sciences demand excellent handwritten skills and immediate reference of pages / books for equations, models, etc. This may eventually be converted to laptop based applications; but not anytime shortly.

Note: CONTENT in the sciences has a greater dependency on experiential (SP) learning than any other subject group. Writing is mandatory for the memorization activity. Which by the way, no one addresses.

As a technoid professional I am astounded by how many books there are around my desk, print outs, etc; while at the same time using my multi-gig, MMX, Pentium flexed PC for applications / messaging. Is there any reason to believe that schools will be any different? Please beware of the wheat from the chaff. Techno companies could care less about education...they are dangling a carrot that I am afraid is focusing on the technology and not CONTENT which is critical for education in the new millennium!

Lou!

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Steak vs sizzle William L. Rukeyser, February 22, 1999 (0)

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* Comments: > While I do agree that technology is moving rapidly, alas, education is not! There is a multiplier effect of the fallacy of technology in education. (Mr. R does touch on some) Two basic keys to consider is as follows: > 1. Those who were trained with Content are those who have mastered the technologies. As a technocrat and a parent, one of the most alarming problems is to see a dynamic lack of typing preparation, inability to spell on paper without a 'spellchecker' and more importantly - no focus in edutainment on detailed CONTENT. I travel around the world meeting with educators and in Hong Kong, and Singapore their focus has always been...CONTENT - technology as only an enabler. When the US finally gets it right - Content FIRST, Technology SECOND, then perhaps we'll stand a chance to compete intellecutally with our global counter parts. > 2. Another aspect of Laptops vs. books is the issue of high tech anxiety. There is a cultural activity that deals with the haves vs. have nots. This issue will relieve itself later; but not while parents are interfering with their childs projects by crafting excellent presentations for their children.(My wife is also a teacher in a high-tech school and this is quite an embarassing observation.) > Laptops will replace books; but initially in the areas of humanities type textual reading. The sciences demand excellent handwritten skills and immediate reference of pages / books for equations, models, etc. This may eventually be converted to laptop based applications; but not anytime shortly. > Note: CONTENT in the sciences has a greater dependency on experiential (SP) learning than any other subject group. Writing is mandatory for the memorization activity. Which by the way, no one addresses. > As a technoid professional I am astounded by how many books there are around my desk, print outs, etc; while at the same time using my multi-gig, MMX, Pentium flexed PC for applications / messaging. Is there any reason to believe that schools will be any different? Please beware of the wheat from the chaff. Techno companies could care less about education...they are dangling a carrot that I am afraid is focusing on the technology and not CONTENT which is critical for education in the new millennium! > Lou!