Comments on: Part 2 – Birth of a question and paradigm shift

By: Einar Berg

Einar Berg — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

I think you have found a great angle to this difficult area, and the questions surely can stand for several years to come. For practical purposes I think they need to give birth to a more detailed, changing curriculum, perhaps revised every semester, as a guideline to teachers and students not in the front line.

Then of course, in some years, we will have to come up with some new questions, like: How do I treat computers with superior intelligence?

By: Audrey

Audrey — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

I agree! I too believe in the primacy of the skill over the tool in the subject areas. In that regard, technology should be used to support skill development and reinforce content acquisition.

I hope that there will always be support for technology as it’s own domain, as well. Learning to USE technology is not the same as learning to MANIPULATE or INVENT with it. Programming skills (from simple html to OOP) , understanding electronics, robotics, etc… are all teachable in various forms from elementary school onward. Not everyone is going to end up creating the technology that people use, but you can’t end up being something if you never get exposed to it. Every child should get exposure. Developing analytical and abstract thinking skills through programming and applied science builds mental muscle and ratchets the game up a notch from technology user to technology creator.

By: Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course

Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

It’s pretty inevitable at this point that we must acknowledge the importance of technology to getting around in life, regardless of what profession or lifestyle someone chooses to embrace in adulthood. It’s always been hard to develop a really comprehensive “information technology” curriculum for any level of education because of the constantly changing and advancing nature of the subject. It seems to me that teaching about over-arching concepts and thought processes that lend themselves to being highly adaptable to and mindful of change (just from a “way of thinking” perspective and not necessarily directly related to technology subjects themselves) is going to go a long way to preparing children for technology in the future. Problem-solving skills and the ability to ask questions have always been important skills to teach in school, but they are becoming more important as we must prepare young people to find careers in adulthood.

By: Carolyn Foote

Carolyn Foote — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

I like how you’ve defined your questions in such simple accessible language.

A great way to guide you in thinking about this differently.

By: Bill Farren

Bill Farren — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Thanks for articulating these ideas so well. This post will be of much help as we work to improve what we do at our school regarding technology and its place in the 21st century.