Computers – positive or negative?

Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Computer Usage

There is sufficient evidence to support the notion that technology could help good teachers to become even better teachers.

It has been the experience of many educators that the judicious use of technology assists them to captivate the attention of learners, makes lessons more interesting, and generally enhances the classroom experience. This means: a positive effect on both teachers and learners.

But what about the impact of technology on teachers who are not in the “good” category? Here the outcomes are less dramatic; in fact, in many cases there will be a nil result. In the worst case, there may even be a negative upshot.

Negative effect?

Consider a situation where teachers use computers as baby-sitting devices. The teacher does not feel like teaching, or is ill-prepared for a lesson, and so learners are put in front of computers to keep themselves occupied. Are these learners not worse off than when the teacher is giving them a mediocre lecture? Would a poor lesson not be of more benefit to them than mere computer access?

Or what about the situation where teachers allow learners to roam the internet aimlessly, without giving any guidance? Are the possible negative effects outweighing the potential positive impact?

How could one turn these negatives into positives?

Tags: computers, educators, internet

2 Comments to Computers – positive or negative?

Albie
Saturday, 6 September, 2008

Albie
Friday, September 5, 2008, 05:12 PM
Negative and Positive with Green in the middle is attainable in ICT.

We are living in the Cyber Space Arena and we need to use and apply all 21 century “tools” in such a way that it enhances our lives.

Life is to identify what is good and what is bad, slow and fast, right and wrong, tall and short, wide and narrow, life or death, educational and not educational and and and….

Computers (like any other electronic device) got a positive and negative wire with the “earthly one” to ensure safety. What we as educationist needs to do is to ensure that after the negative charge we must switch to positive charge and do this in balance with the green “earthly” link.

ICT needs the negative to be combined with the positive and eventually being stabilized by the green earthly approach.

Albie 3 Wires in One

Albie
Saturday, 6 September, 2008

Kobus

Well done !! A new site – it looks true African with the Mountain in the background. I like the newspaper + magazine paper font !!

A very practical activity I did once with my learners on ICT skills. We need to keep them glued to paper – books, magazines, newspaper, articles and so on.

I have posted my previous comment…

Albie

All the best with this new complete make-over site.