Originally posted by SurfaceDog:
quote:
Originally posted by skinman13:
Parents and supervising adults have only one choice today...you cannot shut them out of their world and you cannot stop them from using these computer resources for their entertainment and socializing, so you have to learn how they use it so you are aware of what they are doing.
And I would add "and so that you can keep them focused on what's important."
I'm aware of what the "integrated learning environment" does for students - I teach Naval Officers using everything from Interactive Courseware to "live" labs and classroom time. And I'm not saying that
when used properly these high-tech innovations don't help.
However, there are more drawbacks to the information revolution than just middle-aged pervs. I see too many kids who have come to rely on fast access as a crutch, who think that 'access to information' is equivalent to knowledge. Not every youngster, certainly; in fact, not even a majority. But I see more and more people out there who would be absolutely lost without their electronic brain. It's like back in the 70's with the advent of affordable hand-held calculators - a lot of kids thought that they didn't have to learn math anymore. They got a rude awakening, sometimes too late to help them.
There's a lot of good, innovative ways to make use of computer technology and the internet. But guidance is still needed.
Very well said Sir.
