Computers in Education
Jerry Kindall links to a great article by Theo Gray (the really enthusiastic guy who demoed Mathematica at a recent Macworld Expo) and Jerry Glynn. This brings to mind the famous Steve Jobs quote:
I used to think that technology could help education. I’ve probably spearheaded giving away more computer equipment to schools than anybody else on the planet. But I’ve had to come to the inevitable conclusion that the problem is not one that technology can hope to solve. What’s wrong with education cannot be fixed with technology. No amount of technology will make a dent.
I think computers and technology in general definately have a place in the educational setting. In all reality one issue with education today is teh lack of motivation among students. If we can get students motivated by building lessons around something they enjoy (technology), That is great. We do need to concern ourselves with the issue of teaching the proper curriculum, not just having fun at the computer. Just as any tool can be misused, computers, and technology in general, can be as well. Unless we spend time figuring out the best way to incorporate technology into the classroom, this holds great potential for inefficiency just like any other trend in education.