Blogging the New Technology and Journalism

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Interesting concept, cobalt.

Husker and Ms O - did either of you get a chance to read the article in Dan's blog, Silicon Valley?

Not very thoroughly, cobalt. I've saved the link for lnger read later. I really like the idea, though.

I will let you and Husker know if my input is selected for inclusion in Dan's book. I sent along a page about the use of technology, journalism and the education in public schools at the elementary level. There is where children are uniformly introduced to journalism in the form of Scholastic News, the Weekly Reader and such. This is also where there are usually computers in each classroom or at least available in a school computer lab. Now, as to whether or not the computers are USED is another story, lol!

You contributed, Cobalt?
Good for you!
Yes, let us know if you're published ... Pretty exciting stuff, yes?

MS O - a part of my post:

Cobalt

Good point! Couldn't agree more.
But often (as a teacher, too) I see students with computers at home who need "educating" on to learn to use them for access to learning. Often this is a cultural/language/literacy thing.
The challenge: how to make this powerful (internet) tool accessible & usable for these students in their education.

A late note here - I think it's frightening how many children cannot spell, how poor grammar, and cannot put letters in alphabetical order because of the primary use of computers at an early age.

I have young cousins that are very bright, but only understand the alphabet as it appears on a keyboard. I also noted the mention of voice recognition software. How scary that children will no longer be able to write anything at all because they only create documents by speaking commands.

I don't agree that the downturn in student language skills has to do with the computer. I feel it is a societal and cultural issue where people are generally becomming more passive and consuming in response to their environment and choices.

This month I have been employed as a test scorer for mandatory standardized test in another state. I was trained for and work with grading essays for first graders through third graders. So, after looking at literally thousands of stories, personal narratives, retellings of stories, invitations and thank you letters I have again confirmed what I have seen over the last 10 to 15 years or so: American students in public schools are woefully inadequate to progress at a reasonable rate through the school system and be a reasonably educated high school graduate.

To me, it is a combination of "dumbing down" the expectations for students, lazy teachers and lazy parents, a casualty of high family instability or changes in the home, the consumerism culture promoted by TV, and significant changes in values! The use of the computer with young children and students I see as primarily positive. Teaching young people to think is harder and harder. If one is of the Bush administration sort, why you believe education is to teach a particular set of moral values and "good citizenship".

I've seen the use of computers to dramatically improve learning for children and to inspire motivation to learn to read and to have practice in logic tasks, perceptual tasks, coordination, and even some improvements in deductive strategies.

Look to see how the parents and family with young children themselves use a computer. Much would be instructive from that peek into a home life that may carry over to the schoolhouse.