I understand that computer owners are passionate about their brand of computer. For some reason, I associate this loyalty with type of passion demonstrated by the pickup truck owners who have a decal of a little boy urinating on the symbol of a rival truck (this is probably a regional experience). I certainly have my own preference (without the decals).
Brand loyalty aside, if I hear the statement “We need xxx computers in our school because this is what students will need to be prepared for the real world” one more time I am going to scream. I have two objections to this claim. First, because I am an educator, I would prefer to think of K-12 and college institutions as part of the real world. Second, I wonder just what about present experiences with technology (not learning with technology) will or should transfer to the real world these students will eventually experience.
I look to my own experience now and then in taking this position. So you Mac or Windows users, answer the following two questions.
1) How would you list the files present on a 5 1/4 disk (if you know what one of these looks like) inserted in the drive of a PC running DOS or an Apple 2e?
2) How would you move a file from one 5 1/4 disk to another?
I think I still remember how do perform both operations, but I bet very few “computer users” can?
My point? The specifics of what I used to do many times a day has nothing to do with what I do in OS X or Windows XP. The general experiences I had with technology shaped my present profession. I learned the specifics of scripting in HyperCard (which I still miss), but I apply the basic skills to javascript. Mostly, what I learned was that technology could be empowering for me and for my students.
For the record, Cindy and I own quite a few computers. We find MACs most useful for the work we do, but our home network links machines running both XP and several Mac operating systems.
So — make your personal decisions based on which software (operating system and application) suit your needs. Just don’t try to convince me that the software you happen to run today will determine your students’ capabilities a few years down the road.
