Melissa Fleming

SLMMCD 521

Silicon Snake Elective

Silicon Snake Oil

When taking a look at Mr. Stoll’s website he addresses five main questions when he takes look at the internet & computers. For each question I will address the issue and offer suggestions on how to stay away from the negative and focus on the positive. I will be taking from what I have learned in reviews and essays to base my answer for each question. Here are the five main questions that Mr. Stoll explores:

• Does the internet really bring us together ... or does it isolate us from each other?
• Suppose the network replaces newspapers, books, libraries, and teachers. Is that a good thing?
• Who is hurt by computing & networks? (It’s not who you think!)
• Do computers and networks really belong in the classroom?
• Why does the network promise so much, yet deliver so little?

SUGGESTIONS FOR EACH QUESTION

1. Does the internet really bring us together ... or does it isolate us from each other? – To focus on the positive here, you must make sure that your students are still interacting with one another in the classroom setting. They should still feel free to address the teacher with a question, ask another student, and make sure there is a balance between on-line time and in class-time. Since very few classes (except those are strictly computer classes) isolate a student from the rest of the class, you can control this factor, but if you feel a problem arising (such as a student isolating themselves) monitor their progress, and see if the internet in contributing to the problem. This is also a wonderful way for students to interact with others that are not of the same race, country, background, etc., and the knowledge they could learn from them.

2. Suppose the network replaces newspapers, books, libraries, and teachers. Is that a good thing? - This will never happen, because there if too much information that would never make it unto the internet, and people crave that one-on-one personal attention that a person (the teacher) can give to them. Although I believe that important information is important to have on the internet, in one of the essays it stated that “…the Gutenberg library had a goal of digitizing 10,000 books by 2001, and since 1971 had digitized about 200 books. The rate per month is 10 books. Each year 40,000 books are published. You do the math—it's clear we'll have some books in true "book" form in our libraries.” That fact right there goes to show you that print media will never cease to exist, and that libraries will always a major resource, that as teachers we can concentrate more on when we are asking students to do research for a topic.

3. Who is hurt by computing & networks? (It’s not who you think!) – Mr. Stoll believes that communities and neighborhoods will suffer from the effects of the internet and quality of life that we will be missing. I don’t believe that computers and networks were made to take from anything, but enhance what is already there: You can interact and communicate with others, you can obtain information quickly if needed so you can do more important things, for students with special needs this may be a great way for them to learn and interact, and you can apply from what you learned on the computer unto the real world. When teaching pay close attention to how much time you spend on the computer, since it is easy to get distracted or lose track of time. When it comes to the classroom, you just want to make sure you spend equal time on the computer and in human interaction with your students.

4. Do computers and networks really belong in the classroom? – Take a look in the classroom today, and a classroom that technologically advanced is more exciting for the student & the teacher. Instead of having hum-drum lessons each day, teachers are able to be more creative, have more knowledge, make assignments more fun for the students, and really enhance their learning. There are many wonderful, informative websites out there they have so much useful, rich information that your students will not only have fun in your class, but they may end up learning more, and in the future can again visit that site, and may even learn more. What struck me in one of the essays make a great conclusion: “…Mr. Stoll offers no solutions or suggestions to this problem, other than to remove computers from schools completely, which is a ridiculous idea.”

5. Why does the network promise so much, yet deliver so little? - Back when this book was first written, I am sure some of the information out there was of poor quality, and teachers wouldn’t take a second glance at it. Nowadays there are so many informative websites that deliver so much functional information that will only help in your teaching process. Nowadays you don’t have to depend on yourself to come up with brilliant ideas in keeping a students interest, but are able to get feedback from other on discussion boards, take a look at other teachers sites to get ideas, or even take a look at education sites that have many options: from lessons, to ideas, to sites that have practical knowledge that students will enjoy.