Stop using Computers in Primary Schools
With computers being used at every grade level in the USA school system and a 20% decline in reading skills, should the use of computers be allowed at all grade levels? Primary school students should not use computers, machines that manipulate data, until high school. The use of computers in primary classrooms will only lead to bad habits.
The first reason computers should not be used in primary classrooms are computers can not be replacements for human teachers. When a student makes an error on the computer it shows the error then corrects the problem. If a student makes an error on paper the teacher will have the student think on how to make the correction and help them if needed. Billions of dollars have been spent on computers, but just think of the difference 10% of that money would have made if it had been spent on books. Without the use of computers students would improve on reading, spelling, writing and arithmetic skills.
Secondly, some people think having computers in every primary classroom is the best idea, but this is just not a good idea. According to David Gelernter, computer science professor at Yale University, computers make educators worst nightmares come true. Students are suffering in their reading skills, because they would rather look at pictures or watch videos than to read a book. Books are also less expensive than computers and very portable. Students may become dependent on the corrections automatically being made when using a computer.
The Homework on Primary School Capers
It seems so long ago now, since the mischievous days of mid-primary school. Since the days I never did homework, and was ever so surreptitious to avoid getting caught well trying to anyway. And the days when my little ploys of forgetting to have done homework, were discovered in the most humiliating of ways. There was on specific day this happened, I can vividly remember. It was grade 3, half way ...
Finally, with the continued use of computers in primary classrooms this will only create more problems for our society in the future. Our children need to be able to think and solve problems without the use of a computer. What if the counties electrical grid iron went down? Would they be able to continue with everyday life? Basic math skills will be needed in order to make change; also reading and writing skills will be needed for communications.
Clearly computers will always be in use, but computers should not be used in the school system until high school and only after the basic skills, reading, writing and arithmetic are mastered. Billions of dollars have spent on computers and the students are still falling behind on basic skills. With less expensive books, students will have to solve problems without being dependent on computers. Computers must not be used in the primary classroom until they are re-evaluated in how and when they are to be used in the school system.
