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Abstract

s together such as 2 + 2, you need to know about addition. If you want to set up a spreadsheet for finances, you need to know expenses, income, and some formulas.</p><p id="60fe">The computers are used to streamline procedures that would normally take days, and do it in minutes. Before you can use computer software (or program it if you are at that level), you need to know how the procedure works manually. Otherwise, you’ll never have the computer set up correctly to do the task needed.</p><h2 id="0b1b">Digital divide</h2><p id="43e8">Putting the computers in school makes the digital divide even larger. There will be kids that have a computer at home, and they will have an advantage over the kids that don’t have one. This will reflect in their schooling and their grades where some students may not perform as well as the others.</p><h2 id="0260">Added costs to schools</h2><p id="81e3">I know teachers that do not have the supplies they need to teach effectively. They end up buying certain supplies out of their own pocket. I don’t ever remember anything like this when we were growing up.</p><p id="27bc">But I think what the parents don’t realize is the cost for these computers that is added to the school budget. First, there are the computers themselves which can cost hundreds of dollars. They need to have enough computers to set up the classrooms for the students to use them. Next, there is software that must go on the computers, adding another big expense. Adding to that is the cost of the network, wires, hardware, etc. Oh, did I forget to mention you need extra staff to keep the computers running?</p><p id="ec1e">Couldn’t this money go for supplies and books for the students?</p><h2 id="57e8">Starting without computers</h2><p id="8953">Yes, I’m older but it makes a case for not ha

Options

ving computers in their classroom. When I was in grade school, computers were never even thought of. What we did is learn the basics or what they called the three Rs reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic.</p><p id="6f47">All through high school, we were never taught anything about computers. I worked for a few years after high school and decided I wanted to go to college. I had a few ideas of what I wanted to major in, but I noticed these new things called computers, and I thought I’d see what that was all about.</p><p id="ec7a">I had no background in computers, so I was starting from scratch. I learned about computers and did very well because I knew the basics of math, business, and other disciplines. And I made a 30-year career out of it. So, I am a real example of not having any exposure to computers in grade school.</p><h2 id="3f3c">How about high school?</h2><p id="a919">In high school, there could be exposure to computers. Not necessarily each student using a computer. You could have one computer with the screen projected on a movie screen where all students can follow what is being taught. In other words, it would be like an old-time projector where if they were teaching about how to use a spreadsheet, the teacher would show it and everybody would see how it works on the board. They would already know math, science, business, etc., so they would only learn how the computer is used.</p><h2 id="68a0">Conclusion</h2><p id="0c01">Once students have graduated from high school, many will not need the computer education that they received in today’s schools. They may be working cash registers, or software that was specifically designed for a business and they may just do data entry. The use of these computers is taught or trained by the company that they are with.</p></article></body>

Should We Have Computers in Grade School?

Would it be better to use the money elsewhere?

Well, seems like a great idea to have computers in grade school so that the kids can be introduced to computers. I believe it may be more harmful than good. True, I am older and you may think my thinking is wrong, but I was never exposed to computers until 1981 and have had a 30-year successful software developers career. Bear with me.

The start of the guilt

The concept of exposing children to computers seemed to have started years ago when personal computers first came out. The TV advertisements were describing how your kids will be left behind in the world if they don’t have a computer. This is more of an advertisement gimmick than describing the reality of what was to come.

Then to boost sales, I believe it was Apple Computer that decided to donate computers for schools. The idea was sold as a way to expose children to the future. That was really a blatant marketing ploy for apple computers. When the kids got home, they wanted to have a computer and they were used to using Apple Computers in the classroom. So, what would the parents buy? Apple of course.

Back to basics

Teaching in grade school needs to go back to teaching the basics. The computer is just a tool to accomplish a task. If you wanted to add two numbers together such as 2 + 2, you need to know about addition. If you want to set up a spreadsheet for finances, you need to know expenses, income, and some formulas.

The computers are used to streamline procedures that would normally take days, and do it in minutes. Before you can use computer software (or program it if you are at that level), you need to know how the procedure works manually. Otherwise, you’ll never have the computer set up correctly to do the task needed.

Digital divide

Putting the computers in school makes the digital divide even larger. There will be kids that have a computer at home, and they will have an advantage over the kids that don’t have one. This will reflect in their schooling and their grades where some students may not perform as well as the others.

Added costs to schools

I know teachers that do not have the supplies they need to teach effectively. They end up buying certain supplies out of their own pocket. I don’t ever remember anything like this when we were growing up.

But I think what the parents don’t realize is the cost for these computers that is added to the school budget. First, there are the computers themselves which can cost hundreds of dollars. They need to have enough computers to set up the classrooms for the students to use them. Next, there is software that must go on the computers, adding another big expense. Adding to that is the cost of the network, wires, hardware, etc. Oh, did I forget to mention you need extra staff to keep the computers running?

Couldn’t this money go for supplies and books for the students?

Starting without computers

Yes, I’m older but it makes a case for not having computers in their classroom. When I was in grade school, computers were never even thought of. What we did is learn the basics or what they called the three Rs reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic.

All through high school, we were never taught anything about computers. I worked for a few years after high school and decided I wanted to go to college. I had a few ideas of what I wanted to major in, but I noticed these new things called computers, and I thought I’d see what that was all about.

I had no background in computers, so I was starting from scratch. I learned about computers and did very well because I knew the basics of math, business, and other disciplines. And I made a 30-year career out of it. So, I am a real example of not having any exposure to computers in grade school.

How about high school?

In high school, there could be exposure to computers. Not necessarily each student using a computer. You could have one computer with the screen projected on a movie screen where all students can follow what is being taught. In other words, it would be like an old-time projector where if they were teaching about how to use a spreadsheet, the teacher would show it and everybody would see how it works on the board. They would already know math, science, business, etc., so they would only learn how the computer is used.

Conclusion

Once students have graduated from high school, many will not need the computer education that they received in today’s schools. They may be working cash registers, or software that was specifically designed for a business and they may just do data entry. The use of these computers is taught or trained by the company that they are with.