Computers in the Classroom

I stumbled upon this little blog post (courtesy of the American Family Association),

"The fact of the matter is more computers in classrooms won't help students
master the basic skills of reading, writing and math. There is already such a
lack of understanding in these basic subjects that it's rather pointless to
introduce computers into a classroom. A computer won't teach a kid how to do
algebra or how to convey his thoughts through writing. If anything, computers
hinder the learning process in school. Considering the sorry, and steadily
declining, state of public education, taxpayer money should be used for better
and more effective projects."

From an educational standpoint, this statement is absolutely ridiculous! I won't bore you with statistics and such, but I will give you a short explanation about learning styles. Every individual learns in a certain way. Some are visual learners and thrive in an environment full of diagrams, drawings, etc. Others are audio learners and thrive in an environment where concepts are explained verbally. Still others are tactile learners and thrive in an environment where they are able to learn by "doing." Many of us, however, rely on a combination of these learning styles.

Using computers in the classroom correctly allows concepts to be conveyed through all of the above mentioned learning styles. The basic skills the writer addressed are, in fact, often better conveyed through the audio/visual/tactile software that is available now. Students who might have otherwise fallen by the wayside are offered another avenue of learning.

The Terminator's take...This writer is more concerned with placing blame and ranting about tax dollars than taking the time to examine the research behind using computers in classroom settings. Do your homework before you start ranting...otherwise, you just look idiotic.