【Isthishappeninginyourneighborhood?Childrennotebookcomputersstuckundertheirarmsawaittheyellowbusforthetriptomiddleschool.Onthesurfacethequestionofcomputersinschoolsisano-brainer.Itwouldbestrange】

　　Isthishappeninginyourneighborhood?Childrennotebookcomputersstuckundertheirarms awaittheyellowbusforthetriptomiddleschool.Onthesurfacethequestionofcomputersin schoolsisano-brainer.Itwouldbestrangetoinsistthattoday’stechnologyshouldn’tbeusedtomaketheclassroomexperiencemoreindividualizedmoreeffectivemoreimmediatemoreexciting.Computershavebeeninschoolsmorethan20years---andprobablyevendonesomegood.

　　ButtheideaofapersonalcomputerasanecessarydailytoolforeveryAmericangrammarschoolpupilisaltogetheradifferentthing.Beawareoftheseeminglyattractivevisionof10-year-oldsdoingmostoftheirwork---andhomework---onacomputer.Itisanotherillusorysilverbullet(虚幻的能迅速解决问题的捷径之道)thatpromisestosolveallofsociety’sillsthroughtechnology.Regardlessofwhetherparentsortaxpayersbuythemachineryit’sbadpolicy.

　　Determiningtheproperroleofcomputersinschoolsistooimportanttobelefttocomputersuppliersandeducators.Aneducatedpublicwithclearandrealisticexpectationsneedstohelpdeterminetherighttrackfortechnology.

　　Educatorsforeverseemtoseektheultimateinteachingtools.Theyarealwayspreoccupiedwithinnovation---juniorhighschoolnewmathwholelanguageopenclassroomsandmasterylearningtonameafew.Someideasturnedoutwellandovertimehaveearnedpermanentpositionsinoureducationsystems.Otherreflectedchangeforchanges’sakeandwoundupinthetrashbinwheretheybelong.

　　Exactlywhatistobesolvedwithcomputersinschools?Arewelookingtoimproveinstructionalcapacityandflexibility?Arewetryingtomaketeachersandaidsmoreproductivebylettingstudentstakeadvantageofprogrammedlearningtools?Thisallsoundsgoodandmuchhasbeenaccomplishedwithcomputer-assistedinstruction.

　　Butthat’snotthesameasmakingthecomputerasymbolofwell-temperededucationalpolicy.There’sdangerinthemessagethatachildisnotfullyeducatedifheorshecan’tsurftheWorld WideWebskillfullymovearoundinWindowsortheFounderuseawordprocessingprogramorprograminLogoorBasic.

　　Theseskillscanbelearnedoutsidetheclassroom.Worsethetimeittakesstudentstoacquirethemistimestolenfrom