Jen Sayre, SLM 521 10/7/04
www.londonstimes.us/ toons/index_computers.html
In 1995, Clifford Stoll published Silicon Snake Oil, a book that reveals the authors concerns over the negative impact of computer use upon society. Below are five quotations from his book, each followed by my responses and suggestions of how teachers can help to mitigate such claims as Stoll's and promote safe and effective technology use.
"Information available on the Internet is
often stale, incomplete, misleading, unreviewed or simply wrong"
While there is a large amount of data on the Internet that is biased, misleading, there is also plenty of usuable and reliable material. As teachers, it is important to help students learn to decipher the difference between what is useful and what is not. If teachers model how to refine searches and how to be alert to the biased information that exists, students have the opportunity to access and research millions of topics.
"Superficial network interactions don't carry the same risks as face-to-face interactions"
As an increasing amount of students are using Intant Messaging programs and the email, they are missing out on the cues people get through non-verbal communication (gestures, facial expressions). While it is arguable that students cannot develop the same type of social interaction skills through internet communciation, it is also an opportunity for intrapersonal-typed students to "open up" when they may normally be intimidated by face-to-face interaction. Teachers should relate to students the usefulness of communication over the internet, but should also note the benefits of personal interaction.
"Email is clumsy, inefficient, impersonal."
Actually, I would argue email as an efficient means of communication. Teachers, students, and other members of the educational community use email on a regular basis for its ability to send and receive messages rapidly. Teachers and others should practice and encourage good habits of emailing the same as normal letter-writing: edit for spelling/grammar, write a salutation and a closing, know when to be friendly and when to be professional.
"Interactive computer entertainment gives you the choice of many different outcomes, all preprogrammed. The experience is about as interactive as a candy machine."
People can interact with computers in the same ways that they interact with a book, magazine or a television. In all these situations, the author has already set the outcomes, but the reader/user has options on how to reach those outcomes. As long as we encourage people to examine the variety of ways that you can use computers (collaborative activities, webquests, etc.) computer usage won't seem like an everyday boring routine. Teachers should expose students to these countless varieties, which go far beyond the 10 selections in the candy machine.
"Libraries will become adept at supplying the public with fast, low-quality information."
Stoll is concerned that librarians will be so caught up in the speed and popularity of computers that they will replace regular books and other useful resources. Likewise, students (and teachers) have become more "comfortable" with using the internet for research than any other source. To avoid fears of those, like Stoll, who are worried about the replacement of books with computers, teachers must educate students on the benefits of consulting a variety of sources and the drawbacks of focusing soley on the internet for research.
While there is a large amount of data on the Internet that is biased, misleading, there is also plenty of usuable and reliable material. As teachers, it is important to help students learn to decipher the difference between what is useful and what is not. If teachers model how to refine searches and how to be alert to the biased information that exists, students have the opportunity to access and research millions of topics.
"Superficial network interactions don't carry the same risks as face-to-face interactions"
As an increasing amount of students are using Intant Messaging programs and the email, they are missing out on the cues people get through non-verbal communication (gestures, facial expressions). While it is arguable that students cannot develop the same type of social interaction skills through internet communciation, it is also an opportunity for intrapersonal-typed students to "open up" when they may normally be intimidated by face-to-face interaction. Teachers should relate to students the usefulness of communication over the internet, but should also note the benefits of personal interaction.
"Email is clumsy, inefficient, impersonal."
Actually, I would argue email as an efficient means of communication. Teachers, students, and other members of the educational community use email on a regular basis for its ability to send and receive messages rapidly. Teachers and others should practice and encourage good habits of emailing the same as normal letter-writing: edit for spelling/grammar, write a salutation and a closing, know when to be friendly and when to be professional.
"Interactive computer entertainment gives you the choice of many different outcomes, all preprogrammed. The experience is about as interactive as a candy machine."
People can interact with computers in the same ways that they interact with a book, magazine or a television. In all these situations, the author has already set the outcomes, but the reader/user has options on how to reach those outcomes. As long as we encourage people to examine the variety of ways that you can use computers (collaborative activities, webquests, etc.) computer usage won't seem like an everyday boring routine. Teachers should expose students to these countless varieties, which go far beyond the 10 selections in the candy machine.
"Libraries will become adept at supplying the public with fast, low-quality information."
Stoll is concerned that librarians will be so caught up in the speed and popularity of computers that they will replace regular books and other useful resources. Likewise, students (and teachers) have become more "comfortable" with using the internet for research than any other source. To avoid fears of those, like Stoll, who are worried about the replacement of books with computers, teachers must educate students on the benefits of consulting a variety of sources and the drawbacks of focusing soley on the internet for research.