Silicon Snake Elective
Tanya McDaniel
SLM521
Silicon Snake Oil -- Second thoughts on the
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/%7Estoll/silicon_snake_oil.html
“The Internet provides a vast amount of data. But there's a wide gulf between data and information. There's a long distance from information to knowledge.”
My Comments- Teachers need to close the distance gap caused by the wide range of data on the net. I agree that there are a lot resources, sites, and information available. However, teachers should provide a link between the data available on the net and online education. Teachers can achieve this by creating lessons that aligned with technology and content standards.
www.amazon.com -An enjoyable book
about the Internet,
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Reviewer: chc002 from |
“For those with extensive computer
experience the books provides nostalgic memories of
our problems we have had with computers and the Internet. For those new to
computers it provides a different historical prospective to wonders of the
informational super highway. For both it puts computers and the Internet into
prospective, that computers and the Internet should not replace original
thought, penmanship, letter writing, libraries or card catalogs, but should be
just an additional tool.”
My Comments- Teachers should not
abandon such practices as handwriting activities and teaching students various
ways of researching material. Just as
there are many forms of information on the internet, there are many other ways
to obtain those forms by other means. It
still amazes me how much students rely on adults to tell them how to find a
book in the library. Teachers should
still give children experiences in searching “the old way”, as well as
strategies for searching with technology.
Rory McGreal. “A Snake, Some Oil” CMC Magazine
“….Stoll even claims that computers are not necessary for most college studies. There is an element here of the attitude: I learned the hard way. They can learn the hard way. When more than 50% of jobs now require some computer skills, and when more and more businesses are getting online, I find this claim to be elitist. Students graduating without some basic computer skills are unqualified for the real world. Computers and telecommunications are integral to the real world we live in…..”
My Comments- Stoll must have written this book at a time when he was frustrated with the information and life on the internet. Computers are necessary to college survival. Some schools require you to register online and complete important requirements via the internet. I can remember my college experience being just that. I was forced to learn how the internet worked. Everyone relied on it to send and receive information. Teachers must teach their students how to use the internet for practical use.
Lewis, Geraldine. Updated
August 2002. “Does
Time Online Take Away From the Quality of Life?” http://ed.tsud.edu/tcubed/reflections/Sum02/Online_and_quality_life.htm.
“….He is dissatisfied with the global community. Stoll stated in his book "Here are my strong reservations about the wave of computers networks. They isolate us from one another and cheapen the meaning of actual experiences. They work against literacy and creativity.”
My Commentary- I do believe there needs to be a balance between your internet use and actual social interactions. I have seen people isolate themselves through the use of computers. Teachers should educate students about the dangers of too much online use. We should create experiences for learners to explore the internet with a specific purpose and skill in mind.
Subject: Silicon Snake Oil (fwd)
From: "Jackie M. Dooley"
<jmdooley@ORION.OAC.UCI.EDU>
Date: Thu,
Or how about:
"...unlike a friendly game of chess, the computer
provides no opponent across the table to award your brilliance
with a wistful smile of admiration. You end up admiring
yourself."
My Commentary- The one thing teachers need to remember is to provide some type of feedback for all online experiences. Teachers can select sites that provide checklists and corrected responses. These guidelines set up by the teacher, allow for a more positive experience for the learner.