I Met A Comma named Terry

As the human race progresses into the future, more and more high-tech things emerge, altering our way of life. Technology happens to be something that sky-rockets. Many new technological advances appear year after year. Nowadays, computers are a regular. We use them at home, at work, at school, and every place in between. The question now is, are computers something that should be readily available for students in the classroom setting? Are they truly important and necessary or do they create a hindrance of learning? In an essay written by Clifford Stoll called "Who Needs Computers," he argues computers for educational purposes "often do more harm than good (Stoll 1)." Through research and studies, Stoll found that the use of computers enables students to shut off their brain, and stare at screens rather than be interactive with a teacher and stimulate different emotions through learning. It is important that through learning, we gain the ability to inspire confidence and trust, something that would be very difficult to accomplish with computer screens. The internet cannot teach us to stand up and speak in front of others, make tough decisions on our own, and teach confidence. At first glance, one would think the use of technology for educational purposes should be limited, but surprisingly, even the higher authorities such as the president has been urging to "wire up" schools across the nation. Stoll also noted how easily students could copy and paste others' work and commit the plagiarism crime. Technology is rapidly advancing, however, Stoll believes it is something that needs to stay away from education.In another essay written by David Shaffer called "Video Games and the Future of Learning," Shaffer takes on a different approach to the advancement of technology. He claims video games in the school setting "have the potential to change the landscape of education as we know it (Shaffer 11)." According to Shaffer, video games engage the players in new worlds, inhabiting and becoming these characters. This is something that could otherwise not occur. Players are able to understand complex concepts and develop situated understanding while gaining a knowledge of shared values that are essential in life. This outlook on video games has already made an impact on special groups of people. The U.S. Army has taken these ideas and incorporated them into their training, using military games to introduce civilians to military ideology. The only obstacle standing in the way of using video games for educational purposes in the classroom are those who are stuck in the "old fashioned" way, those who see it only as a hindrance and distraction, similarly to Stoll. With the growing age of technology, will computers and video games make an important impact on schooling or will they only create more controversy and distractions?It is hard to say which side is the "correct" side. On one had, having computers readily available for students is very important because of the vast exploration and research opportunities. There are innumberable websites and learning devices that could be found on the web that greatly aid in learning. Also, the easy mode of communication between professors and students makes connecting much easier. I believe the internet should be available to students, but in a modified manner. In other words, the internet can be very beneficial to the education system. There are however many distractions associated with the internet that could take away from a student's learning. In moderation, the internet is important. As far as video games, I feel these should be part of the moderation that we "moderate." In my eyes, video games are for pure leisure and are something kids glue their eyes to the screen when they arrive home from school. Most games that kids engage in are the bloody, gory kind that have no educational value at all. If schools begin telling children to go play these video games, what are they going to think? It will be defacing education and we will see a major decline in the quality of education. Essentially, I am arguing that technology in small amounts is good for students. Yes, we are living in a world filled with grand technological advances, but let's try to keep the educational system free of it, at least for as long as possible.