> > So yes, technology is, overall, a positive thing in early education. But > are > computers needed in "early education? My guess? No. The human brain is > still > wired like a primate and needs normal primate stimuli. Grabbing the > attention > of a developing brain by using TV and computers IMO is an experiment that I > would not recommend with children.
We've gotten used to defining technology as electronic devices. So yes, Shiv is right in saying that technology, introduced in context, is a good thing. Not just in early education, but all the way through. Education through TV and computers does not imply that you hand over the remote to the kid and get yourself a beer. With supervision and guidance, the electronic medium can be an extremely powerful device. There is a vast amount of information available outside the books, and they can only help students when accessible. In the US, where this debate is probably most relevant, most kids have access to electronic media from a very early age. Therefore, it is not inaccurate to consider it as a medium that they are comfortable with, and can be taken advantage of to provide instruction. There are plenty of examples where kids are using computers and online resources for research, data analysis and collaboration. If anything, this is a far more immersive education in the scientific method than being asked to remember a flowchart. Along the way, they might even learn about the phenomena they're investigating. As a former teacher, part of my brief was to find ways in which to engage the student actively in the learning process. That means Sumant talks less, students do more. What I did ensure, however, was that they weren't rudderless. They had instructions, guides, mentorship and supervision. And there wasn't too much damage done at the end. Most of these lessons were at the 6-12 grades, mostly in the sciences. My colleagues used these methods even in lower grades. They work - very well. The key is to realize that nobody is saying, "Put a computer in a kid's hand, he'll become a genius." What they're saying is "Give easy access to information (through a computer) to a kid, and he'll learn much more than if without it." -- Sumant Srivathsan sumants.blogspot.com
