“It was hoped that the iPads would be a useful learning tool, as well as keep the school up to pace with international competitors embracing the technology in the classroom.”
What the hell is so hard about making them pick up a pencil and use a sheet of paper?
Never mind, I know the answer: The kids might actually learn something.
Walk them on a field trip to the nearest field.
Assignment: create something to write on and to write with from nature's elements.
One thing I have learned, mostly due to the cell phone hysteria.
Just because alot of people like something, that doesn’t make it “good”.
I would say only 25% of the calls I get (on my land line) that come from cell phones are anything near acceptable.
Look at all the web sites that use Javascript. People get fascinated by it.
Javascript is junk.
Computers are sensitive electronic instruments. They are not Tonka toys.
A year ago, my neighbor wanted me to look at his kids Toshiba laptop. Seemed to be powering up, but no display.
Plugged a real monitor into it and it powered up fine, it was running Vista. Tore it down until I could get to the video connector, did some re-seating, testing, and took it back over.
Kids were astonished when it came up, and I said “OK! You guys can use it, but the rule is NO MORE MILK NEAR THE COMPUTER!!
Somebody had spilled milk on it. Frankly, I was amazed it didn’t short out the vid circuits.
That’s, more or less, my position. By the time a child graduates from high school, he should be able to solve most math problems with a pencil, paper, and appropriate charts.
The new calculators virtually guarantee no learning at all, as you only have to type in the question, as it is written in the book, and write down the answer.
“What the hell is so hard about making them pick up a pencil and use a sheet of paper?”
And we’re seeing ads that Comcast has a program for providing free internet to kids in underprivileged homes so they don’t have to go the library to do research. Poor babies. Apparently, our monthly payments are subsidizing this program. Going to the library didn’t seem to cause me any angst or long-term emotional problems.
Since Comcast is NBC, it’s looking like we’ll be checking out Dish or some other provider.