tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post9148285652247778362..comments2024-03-13T21:26:03.011-07:00Comments on Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher: Could I Disagree With This Article Any More Than I Already Do?Darrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730642770935985796noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-6617990759619514052009-06-25T08:02:51.963-07:002009-06-25T08:02:51.963-07:00I wouldn't argue that in the slightest. Note ...I wouldn't argue that in the slightest. Note I said SHOULD USE.<br /><br />The great majority of the technology acquisition in education over the past ten years has been primarily driven by gee-whiz-neato instead of educational utility.<br /><br />"If I wanted to be snarky and condescending, I might suggest that perhaps some people need the technology to make up for their personal and/or professional shortcomings--but I'm not that snarky and condescending. "<br /><br />Maybe not, but I am. ;-)Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04323026187622872114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-35491048719420915032009-06-25T07:45:58.135-07:002009-06-25T07:45:58.135-07:00Curmudgeon--if that's how we did it in educati...Curmudgeon--if that's how we did it in education, I'd have no issue. Our other commenters, though, show that that's not the case.Darrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15730642770935985796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-74682438340805936332009-06-25T07:25:43.629-07:002009-06-25T07:25:43.629-07:00"In industry, we used only enough technology ..."In industry, we used only enough technology to make money for the company, and no more. It was a means to an end, not the end itself."<br /><br />Let's twist this a little ...<br /><br />"In education, we should use only enough technology to make our teaching successful, and no more. It is a means to an end, not the end itself."<br /><br />That looks right.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04323026187622872114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-36039808561945846502009-06-25T05:44:00.382-07:002009-06-25T05:44:00.382-07:00I've seen too many students who rely on techno...I've seen too many students who rely on technology and who don't have a grasp on reality. For example, look at the students who just punch numbers into a calculator and then blindly accept the answer without having any idea if the answer is plausible because they don't know how to handle exponents. Ditto for folks who rely on the spelling checker in their word processing programs instead of actually knowing how to spell (or what constitutes proper grammar).<br /><br />And that's not to mention those folks who text on their cellphones, and who now don't know how to properly spell anything due to the massive amount of abbreviations they use since it's so damned awkward to type on those things!<br /><br />chicopantherAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-50090033349391507422009-06-25T03:45:06.218-07:002009-06-25T03:45:06.218-07:00As a computer programmer with a long-standing, bor...As a computer programmer with a long-standing, borderline obsessive interest in the use of computers in education, what I find irritating is the crafting of a solution without, at first, understanding the problem. In this case the problem is the political nature of public education which precludes the embracing of technological solutions as outlined by the author for the simple reason that they're not necessary.<br /><br />In the business world competition justifies the value of computers. In the military it's victory and survival that justify the value of computers. What's the justification that for the use of computers in public education? <br /><br />It certainly isn't more efficient use of personnel since in politics a reduction in budget, which a head-count cut would certainly result in, is evidence of failure. It certainly isn't increasing the efficiency of the education process since, until the advent of NCLB, that was a largely-ignored consideration exceptions notwithstanding.<br /><br />In fact, there's no good reason, in the current structure of public education, to use computers. The only problem that needs a solution is how to increase budgets and there's no educational use of computers that'll do that.allen (in Michigan)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-35599637072613668042009-06-24T23:48:29.555-07:002009-06-24T23:48:29.555-07:00Hear hear!
I used to be a special projects manage...Hear hear!<br /><br />I used to be a special projects manager in a machine shop. We used lots of data collection devices to assist with our statistical process control program. We also had CNC mills and "programmable" sheetmetal stamping equipment.<br /><br />In industry, we used only enough technology to make money for the company, and no more. It was a means to an end, not the end itself.Darrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15730642770935985796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-52490320325125028622009-06-24T21:53:54.464-07:002009-06-24T21:53:54.464-07:00As a former engineer I find it irritating when con...As a former engineer I find it irritating when condescending academics (such as the author)equate the word "technology" with computers, and almost exclusively with communication/presentation software. The word technology comes from the greek word "techne" meaning "carpenter". Thus, computers are one type of technology, fluff presentation software another. As an engineer I utilized AutoCAD and Solidworks computer aided design software for mechanical design (not-so-fluffy software). For the past 8 years I have taught machining tool TECHNOLOGY classes (both manual and CNC); my students learn how to make precision parts from pieces of metal. Machining involves a variety of technologies including metallurgy, tribology, thermodynamics, metrology (after all, we make parts with dimensions in 3 and 4 decimal places). CNC brings additional technologies to the party. <br />Little does "Mr. Ed Tech" realize that a technology that we all rely on every day was created by the Romans: concrete. They even had different formulations of concretes for different applications - which engineers refer to today as "mix designs".Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10304921297075927317noreply@blogger.com