Re: EduFUD: Computers, software can harm emotional, socialdevelopment

[Petro <petro@playboy.com>]

At 6:07 PM -0500 10/1/98, Vladimir Z. Nuri wrote:

>the whole image of parents limiting how much their children
>can surf the net is quite amusing to me. it's like trying
>to push a river.

	Would you say the same thing about television?

	As much of a fan of Computers, reading, and education as I am, I
also think kids need "peer interaction", and "physical exercise", as
strange as those things may sound to people.

	Yes, our current school system is based on the "Factory" workflow,
show up at x time, take your place on the production line, plug square
holes on top of round pegs for 7.5 hours, and then go home. On the
otherhand sticking children in Veal Pens for 6 hours a day isn't the answer.

	Our children don't need computers nearly as much as they need
teachers who can speak and write properly. Good typing skills are no
substitue for a good brain. Our children don't need computers nearly as
much as they need teachers who can explain algebra and geometery. I don't
care how well you can program your HP-48, you have to know WHICH, WHEN, and
WHY to use certain formulas.

	Wiring the schools to the internet is not about education, it's
about control and lazy teachers.

	Finding information is easy, processing it--sorting, labeling,
priortizing & etc--are what the schools should be teaching.

>oh, the terror! kids might even get bored with our cultures 2 great
>opiates: sports and entertainment.  who knows what will
>happen then?  tyranny is held in place by frivolous and
>meaningless pastimes and amusements in our world.

	It seems that more and more "kids" are giving themselves over to
those two opiates.

>fortunately, PCs and the internet are now an unstoppable
>force. we will see soon what happens when it meets many

	Y2K just might stop it dead in it's tracks.
--
petro@playboy.com----for work related issues. I don't speak for Playboy.
petro@bounty.org-----for everthing else.      They wouldn't like that.
                                              They REALLY
Economic speech IS political speech.          wouldn't like that.