I love how it starts with all the quotes about what was considered technology in the olden days being the ruin of society... like this one: "Ball point pens will be the ruin of education in our country." Federal Teacher 1950. And, "They can't clean a slate properly. What will they do when they run out of paper." Principals Association, 1850

I wondered what ruined education.

So, it was the ball point pen and massive supplies of paper.

I would never have guessed it.

I attribute it instead to the notion (first promoted in the 1960's) that "television" was a way to "replace the inefficiencies associated with human teachers."

But I could be wrong.

I just see a long, slow slide whenever technology attempts to take the PLACE of the nuance and judgment of the human brain, at least in some endeavors where the input/output is very, very complex and shifting constantly-- semi-chaotic information management, I mean.

Wonder why humans still control air traffic and do brain surgery... seems like those are WAY more important than educating 6yo about reading. er-- or maybe not, now that I think about it.


Immediate feedback via a device is still relatively clumsy and crude when compared with human observation and understanding. This is why computer-graded essays are so laughable.

I blame the decline of in loco parentes at the college level for some of the problems there.

I mean, the students I attended with were rather wackadoo.

That might have been a function of an honors dorm at a party/athletic school, though.

JonLaw - you always make me chuckle