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Subject:RE: The Dumbing Down of America From:"Haas, Guy" <ghaas -at- selectica -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 22 Jun 2001 14:56:13 -0700
On Friday, June 22, 2001 2:17 PM Andrew Plato expostulated:
> Facts man? Where are your facts here? You're making a massive
> leap of logic Dan from "they are all wired" to "they can't find
> Kansas on a map." Where is the connection? Do you have facts
> that show kids who are wired are dumber?
>
> Actually, I have seen facts that would DIRECTLY contradict your
> statements, Dan. I've read articles that show children with
> computers are generally more intelligent and more apt to score
> better on tests. I think the problem isn't the computers, its
> getting computers to poorer, inner city kids who's parents
> lack the finances to buy their kids computers.
. . .
>Andrew Plato
Where are YOUR facts? You too are making a massive leap of logic.
When children who attend private schools get better grades than
those who attend public schools, the assumption is typically that
the private schools provide a superior education.
People who can afford to send their children to private schools
might well be more academically inclined themselves; might very
well deliver their children to kindergarten better prepared from
the get-go to take advantage of education; might very well place
more emphasis on education through their children's school years.
Similarly, people who can afford computers that enable their
children to interact with the Internet probably are also people
who place more emphasis on education.
Vouchers (big debate across the US) enabling poorer children to
attend private schools might be totally useless if the children's
environment is not also changed. Is there any research available
on that issue?
Is there any research available that shows what happens when
"poorer, inner city kids" GET computers, but no other change
is made in their environment? Is it the computers, or is it more?
--Guy K. Haas gkhaas -at- usa -dot- net
Software Exegete in Silicon Valley
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