"The Overdominance of Computers"

Aaron Routon: aaronrouton@hotmail.com: 1/20/09

“The Overdominance of Computers” by Lowell W. Monke

Overview of article.

In this article Lowell Morke argues that schools pressure to include technology into the curriculum supersedes the wisdom of how to include technology into the classroom. He feels that modifying curriculum to conform to changes in technology can omit other valuable aspects. He argues that as technology increases, educators need to help students in personal interactions, develop abstract thinking capacities, and find meaning in life.

Morke also sites studies that suggest that increasing time with computers and technology may not be beneficial developmentally for students. Studies show that young students respond well from personal interaction and face to face teaching. Early educational TV and computer programs demonstrate skills but lack the human contact vital to children. Also, a recent world wide study found that 15-year-old students who had more access to computers had lower all test scores (they found that computers became an academic distraction rather than a motivation).

Lastly Morke emphasized that students need to be guided on how to manage technology wisely. He believes that children develop in stages and therefore the technology should be made available to them at the appropriate time (just as you would not give young children all the alcohol they want).

Reference Points:

• With a key stroke students can now inflict pain/ or damage work sitting away from their subjects
• Students need to develop concrete experiences interacting with the world around them so they have a better context of what is happening in the digital world
• Increasing screen time and decreasing face-to-face interaction may retard some aspects of development in children
• It is crucial that schools help students develop their distinctly human capacities such as hope, compassion, trust, respect, a sense of belonging, moral judgment, stability, community support, parental care, and teacher competence and enthusiasm that keeps so many students imprisoned in ignorance.
• Educators need to be concerned with how to provide students adult relationships, unstructured play, music, art, nature, and hands on lessons
• We need to let kids develop naturally and not diagnose, medicate, and use external tools to address the latest trends

Reflection:

I think that Morke makes an excellent point. I feel that technology is a constant buzz word and a topic of which educators are often unaware. The result is pressure for students to know and operate the latest and greatest technology… BUT when do we teach students what is appropriate. Just as we teach kids about drugs and their affects on the body and don’t hand out drugs, we also need to teach students how to use technology wisely.

I think technology is bringing us many wonderful things but with it also comes some horrible things. Gambling, pornography, fraud, and deception are vices which are now more readily available to people of all ages: but what are we doing to help students learn how to navigate these aspects of the web. In my experience we are doing very little (because we are relatively new to the technology scene as well) and leaving students to find out on their own. This is a huge disservice to this and future generations. Children need guidance and we are to guide them.

A couple times Morke’s extreme points and examples may have lost him some credibility with average readers but I believe his points are still very valid. I think we as educators need to proceed with caution and help teach these children the important lessons we received about how to be human and about kindness, respect, wisdom, and moderation.