Computers and Education What roles do computers play in the education of

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3. Computers and Education What roles do computers play in the education of our students, and what roles should they play?

4. Introduction • Computer questions • The answer a computer will accept • Possible answers a human mind can comprehend • Why the topic is important to think about

5. History • Mindstorms • Logo • “Drill and Kill” of the 1970's • Integrated learning systems of the 90's Interesting Facts As of 1999 • Worldwide there are almost 200 million people on the Internet. • Americans with Net access spend an average of 8.8 hours a week online. • As many as 476 million instant messages are sent daily by AOL's 43 million registered users. • "Adult" sites were a $1 billion industry in 1998. • 25 percent of teens in a recent survey said they had visited X-rated sites. • 51 percent of American classrooms had Internet connections last year. (1998) "The New Wired World", Newsweek. Sep 20, 1999. p. 40-78

6. Important Skills for Students • What are the skills that an average high school student should have after graduation? • Why are these skills important?

7. Important Skills for Students As told by Riverdale (Mr. Thompson, Mr. Oldani, Mr. Palma, and Mr. Sory) Core Skills • Understanding impact and relevance of the topic • Understanding the breadth of the topic and interconnection between disciplines • Gathering information through various resources • Organizing information • Inquiry and questioning strategies • Data analysis • Data organization, spreadsheets and data bases, graphs • Source evaluation/bias • Supporting an opinion and acknowledging other points of view • Documentation • Reflection on process and information

8. Why Computers? • Parents are a driving force • Third most important skill • Students will be left behind • Clinton story • Computers have become babysitters in the classroom • Students are a part of a vast experiment

9. You Need Money? • Cost of experiment • $20 billion a year • “One art program can run for a year at the cost of one computer.”

10. Edutainment is Fun • Makes learning fun!!! • Not limited by the knowledge of their teachers • Interaction with humans • Simulation • Processing abstract information

11. Child Development • Jane Healy • Emotional/Social development • Abstract Thought

12. What the Studies Show Many studies contradict each other • James Kulik, 1994 • Students using computers scored in the 64th percentile, while those that didn't scored in the 50th percentile. • Harold Wenglinsky, 1998 • Wenglinsky concluded that “eighth grade students who used simulation and higher order thinking software showed gains in up to 15 weeks above grade level as measured by NAEP.”

13. Re-Cap • Schools spend $20 billion annually for computers that studies show only have minimal gain at most. • Schools are having to cut programs such as music or sports, schools should be looking at spending the state's money ethically. • Psychologists who have studied the issue are concerned that computers might hinder the development of young children. • Computer use is an important skill for the workplace. • Studies have shown that an average adult who has never used a computer before can learn how to use one quite well in only a couple of short weeks.

14. Conclusions • Computers should be introduced at an appropriate age. • Don't need a lot of to learn to use computers (Riverdale suggests computer use learning taking place freshman year) • Computers should be used for appropriate Reasons: • Computers are meant to be tools not educators • With larger class sizes computers should not be looked at as a solution • Spending the States tax dollars ethically

15. Any Questions?