Re: PCs and education

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ken DiPietro <ken () new-isp net>
Date: May 7, 2007 7:57:02 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] PCs and education

Dave,

An few observations, if you feel it would be valuable for list  
discussion.

Two points I would like to raise for the list's consideration.

1.) Given the price of textbooks and their rapid obsolescence, would  
laptops employed as a complete replacement for textbooks (E-Books) be  
a better investment?

2.) While we can readily accept that the benefit to education of  
these laptops might have been negligible, is it the technology or the  
inherent inability to the current educational system to correctly  
apply this technology that should be held accountable?

As a personal observation, it would seem that the inherent  
distractions we have seen in the workplace (employees checking  
personal email, reading news, etc.) would indicate that computers  
might not have any value in the workplace, if we were to follow this  
same logic.

Respectfully,

Ken DiPietro
New-ISP/NextGenCommunications

David Farber wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: "Gordon C. Thomasson, Ph.D." <gthomas1 () stny rr com>
> Date: May 6, 2007 6:54:32 PM EDT
> To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
> Subject: PCs and education
>
> Dave,
> I know it is heresy for (most?) IP-people, but this should be  
> confronted honestly. With ever-shrinking education budgets (in  
> terms of $-buying power, energy costs, etc.), honest cost-benefit  
> analysis must be done and faced-up to. Even with the fabled $100  
> (now the even more fabled $10) PC, the question is not just can  
> computers be afforded financially, but educationally. I'm sure a  
> hidden camera in the back of my college classroom (I'm NOT  
> suggesting one) would show some of those apparently studious  
> laptops have something other than course notes on the screen. And  
> as for IM-ing ...
> Gordon C. Thomasson, Ph.D.



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