I have been reading Todd Oppenheimer’s The Flickering Mind. I do make the effort to read the various books (e.g., Cuban, Healy) that argue against the use of technology in schools. I will likely have more to say on this particular book at a later point. Until then, additional material on this position can be found at EdTechNot.
I am having a difficult time getting a good focus on the main ideas of “The Flickering Mind.” There are similar themes in many of these books – inefficient use of meager resources, diversion of teachers and students from core goals of education, lack of good data demonstrating technology is really effective, commercial pressure, etc. I have yet to determine from Oppenheimer’s anecdotes which or all he believes are core problems.
Arguing from anecdotes is something we all do. We tend to find or selectively recall those examples that fit the case we want to make and ignore those that stand in opposition. Actually, if we are skilled, we use some of each, but make certain the number favoring our position are far more numerous.
The problem with equipment breakdowns is one example of a potential technological problem. Some equipment does break down. However, it is difficult to determine how often this happens and why.
I have not had personal problems with computer hardware and so accepting the position that equipment is unreliable is difficult. Because I like to work on the “newest” thing, my real problem is what to do with the past generations of equipment. Multiple generations of the computers I have used accumulate under office tables and in store rooms. Some have been passed on to acquaintances willing to work with older equipment.
On a table in my office is the server I first used to gain personal experience in Internet applications. I turned this machine on in 1995. It has run with the exception of an hour here or there, the week they turned off the power because of the Grand Forks flood of 1997, etc. ever since. Year after year it rolls on (nearly a million pages served last year). I have several “used” machines waiting to replace the old “work horse”, but the machine simply refuses to quit. I have decided not to ever replace this machine as long as it still runs – it is kind of a loyality thing. If the machine can last another 10 years, we will simply retire together.
The machine on the right is the server (the “pizza box” design is a 6150/66 Power Mac still running system 7.6). In contrast, the machine on the left is a G5.
