Reading Response 11
Dan Feuerbach
English 354
3-26-2006
Reading Response 11
The assignments keep getting better. The current selection of literacy related writings seems to be more related to stuff that applies to me than past selections have been. The earlier readings all dealt with people learning to read in harsh circumstances or trends in current literacy development. This is all important stuff but I am beyond it. In “The Computer Delusion” Todd Oppenheimer discusses an issue I will inevitably deal with directly.
He argues that technology in the classroom at the expense of art and music programs is bad. He takes all the main arguments of people supporting more computers in the classroom one by one and discusses why he thinks they are incorrect.
The strongest argument is that students who aren’t exposed to computers will be left behind. Projections indicate that roughly sixty-percent of the work force uses computers directly. He argues that the problem is that technology is so job-specific that the current level of use is enough to teach students until they get to a real job that will train them how to use the job-appropriate technology.
In the end Oppenheimer basically says that computers are just a glamorous tool. The story is the same, the names have been changed. He claims computers are just another chapter in humanities story of struggling with change. He compares computers future in learning to movies, radio and filmstrips. People thought at one time these would replace blackboards and textbooks but never have. At best they are a break from these time-honored instruments.
This was a nice reality check. In a world that seems to demand more computer literacy, Oppenheimer declares that this is nothing new. Whatever changes we predict will never be as severe as they end up being. He doesn’t say computers are unimportant, because that would be asinine, but he does explain that they aren’t as important as people make them out to be.
This essay was tight, relevant and informative. I enjoyed reading it. It wasn’t too long that it lost my attention or too short that I was confused. It applied directly to my life so it became even more engaging. It said a lot about the way the world is.
English 354
3-26-2006
Reading Response 11
The assignments keep getting better. The current selection of literacy related writings seems to be more related to stuff that applies to me than past selections have been. The earlier readings all dealt with people learning to read in harsh circumstances or trends in current literacy development. This is all important stuff but I am beyond it. In “The Computer Delusion” Todd Oppenheimer discusses an issue I will inevitably deal with directly.
He argues that technology in the classroom at the expense of art and music programs is bad. He takes all the main arguments of people supporting more computers in the classroom one by one and discusses why he thinks they are incorrect.
The strongest argument is that students who aren’t exposed to computers will be left behind. Projections indicate that roughly sixty-percent of the work force uses computers directly. He argues that the problem is that technology is so job-specific that the current level of use is enough to teach students until they get to a real job that will train them how to use the job-appropriate technology.
In the end Oppenheimer basically says that computers are just a glamorous tool. The story is the same, the names have been changed. He claims computers are just another chapter in humanities story of struggling with change. He compares computers future in learning to movies, radio and filmstrips. People thought at one time these would replace blackboards and textbooks but never have. At best they are a break from these time-honored instruments.
This was a nice reality check. In a world that seems to demand more computer literacy, Oppenheimer declares that this is nothing new. Whatever changes we predict will never be as severe as they end up being. He doesn’t say computers are unimportant, because that would be asinine, but he does explain that they aren’t as important as people make them out to be.
This essay was tight, relevant and informative. I enjoyed reading it. It wasn’t too long that it lost my attention or too short that I was confused. It applied directly to my life so it became even more engaging. It said a lot about the way the world is.
posted by Dan at 12:53 AM
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