Hello. I'm back again. I'm doing an extra blog entry this week to write some thoughts on a book I recently read for the CTEP book club, which I found rather interesting. I'll be back again tomorrow for my regular updates, but for now...

The book I recently Read is titled, High Tech heretic, Why Computers Don't Belong in the Classroom and Other Reflections by a Computer Contrarian written by Clifford Stoll. I was looking for a good book to read for the book club, and after seeing this title, I was really curious. It was a quite interesting read, and kind of goes against a lot of what we're trying to do as CTEP members.

The book covered a variety of topics why the author thought computers didn't belong in the classroom. Many of these I agreed with to some extent, or at least understood his point of view. He provided good examples that backed up his thoughts, and many of them made sense. However I think it was a bit to exadurated. By the time you're done reading the book, you get the feeling computers are the worst thing ever, which he says isn't the case. I think it would have been good to include some counterpoints, and explain how technology and computers can help in a classroom, or at least how we can fix these problems he brings up, rather than simply pointing out the negatives.

There's definitely something to be said for limiting the use of computers in the classroom I think. One example he commonly used was math. It's very important to learn the basics of math, like the multiplication tables, and how to do math by hand if the need arises. Yes, you have to still know a little about the right order to perform calculations in a complex math problem when using a calculator, but it's good to know the mechanics of each step. I can identify with this pretty well. Recently I was doing some quick math for something, and I went stupid for a minute. I forgot how to borrow when subtracting. I quickly figured it out again, but I've gotten so used to just using the calculator.

Another big point was how flashy and interactive computer games and programs aren't as good as people say. You don't need to have a computer to play an interactive game. This kind of thing can be done in the classroom with a teacher and classmates just as easily, with no technical problems. This is true. However I like interactive content on the computer myself because I can study better on my own. I don't feel I'm learning much when I'm just reading a list of terms in order and memorizing them all for the test the next day. When I was in college, we had a cool little Flash game that was something like the Millionaire gameshow. This was both fun, and it made studying easier because I was getting the questions in a different order, and I wanted to see how far I could get in the game.

Another point he made was that laptops aren't as portable as we'd like to think. Books shouldn't go away. Yes you can cary a laptop in a backpack, but there's more to worry about. For instance, you don't have to worry about a book's batteries running out, or your book crashing in the middle of reading a chapter. Also, a book doesn't break if left in the cold or dropped from a couple feet. These are all valid points. I love my laptop, but there are sometimes where it's not as convenient as I'd like. I have to boot the thing, which takes a couple of minutes if I want to open a file or take a quick note. PDA's and cell phones are starting to solve this problem, but still, sometimes paper is just quicker and easier.

The one section I really did like though was on presentations, and using programs like PowerPoint. If used correctly, they can add to a presentation. Most of the time however, they're used entirely the wrong way. I know I've sat through my fair share of super boring presentations where the presenter or instructor just reads the PowerPoint show word for word, or has the bulletpoints there, and reads from a book or paper instead. People even do this without technology. I've also been to many presentations where the presenters read word for word from their written speech. Either way, these presentations are very very painful, and no one learns anything.

I do think PowerPoints have their use though. If the main topics are listed, it gives the audiance a good idea what will be discussed. The presenter should still refer to written notes or the PowerPoint as a reference, and actually give the presentation in his/her own words. Use it as a tool, not a crutch.

This brings me to my last point about the book. The one recurring theme I see with technology is computers, the Internet, and technology in general, is that people see the technology as the solution, not a tool They think the newest computer toys will automatically fix their problems or do the work for them. I look at it like the recent video gaming buzz in the news lately, where parents complain about violent video games because the parents are relying on these games to raise their children instead of the parents themselves. That's a whole other topic/rant though.

I use the computer for many, many things every day, from news, shopping, communication, to entertainment. But I still see it as a helpful tool, and know it's not going to solve my problems just because it's cool technology. Some things are just easier, quicker, and more efficient when done in person.

Overall I still thought the book was quite interesting, especially from the CTEP perspective. It's kind of taking the exact opposite view that we're taking on the Internet and technology. I really wonder how other CTEP members would react to this book, and can't help but think it would make an interesting book discussion.