" The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."Albert Einstein
How many times during my youth have I looked up at a star with awe? So many light years away a little twinkling dot in the heavens. Yet this little star is so many times larger than our planet Earth. The mysteries that surround us at all times, not only in the heavens but also right here on our home planet called Earth.
Reality can stand in the way of us enjoying the satisfaction of solving one of the so many mysteries all around us. Yes as we get older, we must face the responsibilities of our concrete world. A world truly not tamed but rather aggressive and unresolved.
True, reality is a game in which the players (citizens) compete with each other. It can be rewarding and beneficial to those who excel in their field of expertise. With our high-tech world of computers, cell phones, and what have you, children are losing a great deal of learning about the mysteries, which surround us.
Which is a better learning environment: reality or virtual reality? In the three dimensional, real world, kids encounter the unexpected. On the two dimensional screen, children see only the choices a programmer has developed for them. While presenting the illusion of options, a computer can only deliver a limited number. The keyboard and mouse constrain a child's option to reach out and touch the world.
In the real world, we can teach, explore and learn the patterns of connection, which link different people, plants, animals and places. If education software even attempts to deal with these crucial concepts, the limits of the media may make the presentation inflexible, superficial, and inadequate.
Cognitive Development
Children are not little adults. Their minds, just like their bodies, go through a well-orchestrated series of stages of development. There may be serious consequences for a child's intellectual and emotional development if she/he is subjected to inappropriate pressure, involving computers, to accelerate in the classroom. Research into this important area is in its early stages. In the absence of thorough data, it seems prudent to proceed cautiously.
The Agenda
Important questions must be raised before decisions are made. As educational researchers and the media, examine these questions, their finding support the need for more skepticism. Educators, parents and policy makers can make their best choices when they recognize the level of uncertainty, which surrounds the concept of computer, based instruction. Those choice must be based on data and analysis, not fear or faith that seems to characterize the rush to invest in computers in the classroom. Until more data are available, the best choice may be to leave our options open.
Learning in the Real World will make research grants to university investigators develop, analyze and distribute information which will allow us to make rational decisions about when and where education technology is a positive tool for children and when it detracts from their development.
This author of this Article has choosen to make this article available with free reprint rights. Click here to copy this article.
» left by sue thom from nj (98 days 22 hours ago.)
hi david, what an excellent article, from beginning to end. i have always tried to keep a balance between technology in our home, and nature outside our walls. a frog was on our porch the other night, and it was as tame as it could be. i took pictures, then held it, then brought it up to my son, who was on his "computer" and had him hold it, and feel it's hard shell, but soft sides, and marvel at it's calmness. it was truly nature at it's best, and a welcomed experience.
thanks for sharing your thoughts,
my best,
sue
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
