Review book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review book - Essay Example Jane Healy is perplexed by the over dependence of teachers on the computer as a teaching and learning aid. A survey carried out among teachers and parents led her to the startling revelation that after the three R’s, i.e. reading writing and arithmetic and good habits, most of them desired proficiency in computers in their wards. The traditional domains of arts, history, geography and science figured much lower in the list of sixteen items listed in the survey. Parents who buy a computer have their children’s education in mind while making this expensive purchase. In the schools, computers have taken over the teacher’s job of education facilitator through repetitive drills and practice. Parents seem to have fallen into a delusional trap because they assume that a child who can operate a sophisticated tool like a computer must be smart, when in fact such a theory is not necessarily right. Constant drilling only hones their ability to get better scores in standard tests while dulling their analytical and problem solving skills. In the lower classes, computers have a negative impact because â€Å"fast growing biological systems are most vulnerable to damage†(pg.111) Healy is critical of the high amounts spent on upgrading hardware and computer software which can be put to better use by promoting literature and arts and even in training teachers. The biggest dangers that a computer poses to a child is inhibition of brain development and a lack of creativity. A child’s excessive use of computers interferes with its cognitive and social skills and they find it difficult to communicate even in familiar surroundings. From a physiological angle, computers lead to hand and arm injuries due to repetitive use, and back problems because of the enormous amount of time spent sitting in front of the computer. There is also the danger of visual problems due to eyestrain and problems associated with constant exposure to electromagnetic fields.