Opus 2015-450: Computer Myths in Education: Myth 3

Myth 3.  Computers are preparing students for the future. 

Maybe so, but it is the future of being ignorant consumers, not creative producers.  Large numbers of students want to major in computers in college.  The reason is that they think they will be able to play computer games all day.  They don’t want to learn all the math and logic that is behind the programming.  They all want to be on the team that tests the new games.  It is a very limited field that can be filled by sixth graders.

When you have a machine that corrects your spelling and grammar, that decides what areas to search on the internet, that gives away your private information through programing back doors, that allows the government to spy on you without you knowing, you are certainly preparing students for a future but not one I want to see.

One of the mantras that I keep hearing in regard to Common Core Curriculum is that we are preparing students with 21st century skills for jobs that don’t exist yet.  It doesn’t take much thinking to realize that the only way to prepare students for new skills is to make them competent in old skills. 

Prepare students for the future by teaching them the basics, the ones that were around before computers.

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