"The Overdominance of Computers"

A. Gustaveson
3/1/08
"The Overdominance of Computers" by Lowell W. Monke

For this assignment, I react to Lowell Monke's criticism of technology predominance in the classroom. This article can be found in the magazine Educational Leadership.

Overview
In his article "The Overdominance of Computers," Professor Lowell Monke asserts that we need to cut back on student technology use. Society's dependence on computers has left our children devoid of a connection with reality. Particularly in elementary school, students should be more involved with hands-on modeling and social interaction, not working with abstract computer processes.

Reference Points

1. Educators fear that eschewing classroom technology will mean students are not prepared for the 21st century working world. This has led to an overuse of computers.
2. Monke believes that technological preparation in the early years should center on instilling sound moral judgments, not actual computer use.
3. The power of technology plus personal distance from its consequences might result in a lack of self-control on a student's part. This is why ethics and morals are so important to instill.
4. We need to balance students' high-tech existence with physical and community interactions. Spreadsheets cannot teach "commitment, loyalty, and tradition" (22).
5. One study of 174,000 fifteen-year-olds found the more computer access a student had, the lower their overall test scores.
6. Moral judgments and decisions are required to deal with many of the problems technology has created: cloning, nuclear weapons, etc.
7. Technology should not be rejected outright during early education; instead of distancing the student from reality, any use should strengthen a child's internal resources.
8. Computer use should be introduced with a student's ability to process abstract thought (i.e. at the junior high level).
9. Teach technical skills in the final two years of education, so students are armed with up-to-date information, not obsolete knowledge.

Reflection and Significance

Monke has clearly articulated a problem that deserves focus in any educator's mind - providing a framework of meaning for our increasingly virtual world. Too often we fail to ensure our students know the how or why behind technology. Why is this source less reliable? How can we know that? How can this program help me solve a problem I will deal with in my own life? Why do I need to understand the link between computers and morality? These questions are less flashy and harder to answer than figuring out the mysteries of Movie Maker or posting blog entries, yet they must be the foundation from which technology usage proceeds. Educational access to computers should come only after this conversation has occurred. I will keep this in mind when designing my own curriculum.

I believe Monke makes an equally valid criticism of the supplanting of hands-on activities by video and computer games. This is particularly detrimental at the early stages of development. This fact needs to be supported by curriculum developers and education boards across the nation. Technology should play a limited role in elementary schools and an increased role as the student ages. High school educators need to ensure the balance between virtual and reality is maintained. In the words of Monke, "we should not be intensifying children's high-tech existence but compensating for it" (21).