Speaking of Joe K., he links to this book review of Mark Bauerlein's new work Dumbest Generation, which ponders the effect of technology on the way we learn. See the book website.
If the review and the book site are any indication, Bauerlein marshals all sorts of data about our under-performing students. Question for education nerds: how much of this is caused by the fact that we don't educate as well as we used to and how much is this a statistical anomaly caused by the fact that we now educate everyone? What I suspect is this: the top students are far worse educated now than, say, 1950. Also, the average student is less familiar with higher culture and therefore is more culturally illiterate than was the case in decades past. Technology plays a role in this in that it tends to emphasize the immediately stimulating over reflection and thought. In that sense we may know more than our ancestors but understand less.
Regarding the use of technology in education, my thoughts on "laptop education" are well known. Interestingly, I find myself on state task force looking at this issue at the university level. As I have a policy of not discussing my work for the state on this website I will not go into detail, but I did learn something recently at one of our meetings in Pierre. Even those who really favor laptops in the classroom have given up arguing that it actually enhances education. They admit that they have no proof of this. Instead they argue that the laptop is just another piece of technology that teachers and students can use in the classroom, like the pencil or overhead projector, to enhance the learning environment. But no additional learning will result from the use of laptops. This is the argument of those for laptops in the classroom.
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