Making the Case for Technology Integration

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Chapter 8

This activity contains 2 questions.

In a 1998 debate in Time magazine, powerful representatives of two sides squared off. The following quotes are in response to the question "Should schools be connected to the Internet?" Vice President Al Gore: "Access to the basic tools of the information society is no longer a luxury for our children. It is a necessity.... We must give our children . . . the chance to succeed in the information age, and that means giving them access to the tools that are shaping the world in which they live" (Tumulty & Dickerson, 1998, p. 54). David Gelernter (victim of the Unibomber): "First learn reading, writing, history, and arithmetic. Then play Frisbee, go fishing, or surf the Internet. Lessons first, fun second.... If children are turned loose to surf, then Internet in the schools won't be a minor educational improvement, it will be a major disaster" (Tumulty & Dickerson, 1998, p. 55). Using information in this chapter combined with other readings, which of these positions is more plausible? How would you respond to each of these statements?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

Speaking of distance courses via the Internet, Hartley and Bendixen (2001) warn that, ". . . most would agree that learning on the web is troublesome for the less motivated student. If web learning is dependent on motivation and motivation is correlated with socioeconomic status, we may be contributing to an expansion of the digital divide" (p. 25). What ways would you suggest to counteract the effects they refer to and to ensure that better access means more equitable access to learning opportunities?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

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