[Gllug] Light the blue touchpaper...

[Jason Clifford]

On Wed, 17 Mar 2004, Pete Ryland wrote:

> > I am firmly of the opinion that the current drive towards putting computer 
> > learning first is harming a whole generation's education.
> 
> I beg to differ.
> 
> > Instead of learning how to spell and use correct grammar children (and 
> > others) are learning how to rely upon features in software. 
> 
> I have seen households where a child has asked her mum to check homework and
> the mum has "corrected" grammar to the wrong thing.  English was not her
> first language, but she was surprised when I (hopefully as nicely as
> possible) re-corrected the kid who had the right answer in the first place.
> If[1] a computer could check grammar, perhaps this may be an easier way for
> a child to learn the correct way.

And as you build the dependancies upon smaller and smaller numbers of 
properly qualified people does anyone really think that this will lead to 
improvements?

We run the risk of whole generations who are almost totally dependant upon 
others for basic skills. That's a reverse of the last 150-200 years 
progress in general education and the benefits that brings to the 
population as a whole.

We've certainly not reached a point where we can say enough people have 
those basic skills. The numbers of innumerate and illiterate people are 
growing - these types of schemes divert resources away from addressing 
root causes in my view to the benefit of a very small percentage of poeple 
and the benefit is doubtable in itself.

> Did you learn how to calculate tan x by hand before someone gave you a book
> with a table in it?  I doubt it.

I was encouraged to learn how to when I was at school as calculators were 
banned. We had pencil and paper and were taught (allegedly) how to do 
these things by hand.

Personally I found the allure of solvents, drugs and the occult greater at 
the time ;)

>  We have the technology, why not use it?

As I said I've no problem using it - AFTER teaching kids how to do it 
without the technology.

> Agreed on this though, but this shouldn't mean that we should tell a child
> to understand the source code before they can use dict(1).

Does it mean we should present the child with a black box appliance and 
tell him he need never consider how it works?

Jason Clifford
-- 
JustADSL			1Mb Home ADSL just £31.99 / month
http://www.justadsl.com/	   Business ADSL from £30/month

-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at gllug.org.uk
http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gllug