Internet in American Schools
...of morons from the school system. I think this is a very drastic, and negative, look on today’s youth. He even goes so far to say that most American children do not even know what a symphony is! This is a highly inaccurate statement for I as a child going through a public school system took field trips to symphonies. In high school we were required to read Shakespeare, Twain and Wordsworth. Gelernter needs to get out from behind his big Yale desk and take a real look at what America’s youth is doing in the educational system before making rash, and overly general statements about the “disaster” that is occurring. This essay by Gelernter is not just about the decline of the American school system, but concerns the use of Internet technology in schools across the country. He does make a good point in describing the dangers and pitfalls that exist on the Internet, such as pornography and hate sites that can corrupt children if they access this material. While this point is certainly true, I think it would be better for a student to learn how to use the Internet under the guidance of teacher, rather than sitting alone in a library or at home. The teacher can teach the student to access the safe, educational aspects of the Internet and can show the students what not to do while surfing. Gelernter blatantly ignores this aspect of teacher supervision. The Internet is simply a mass collection of information that is organized and displayed in a pleasing and enjoyable fashion. The amount of information one can gain from this amazing resource is endless. Mr. Gelernter claims that students are already “overwhelmed by information even without the Internet.” (Gelernter) I don’t exactly understand the reasoning behind this statement, and he fails to prove it with proper evidence. The idea that one can have too much information, although certainly an interesting philosophical question, is not a realistic concept in this the age of information. How is one supposed to keep up with the trends of the age, if they are not given the opportunity to gain as much information as they can? The education and information that you learn as a child are items that dictate the course of the rest of your life. It is imperative that this education be sound and complete, in order to ensure a prosperous life for America’s youth. One aspect of this possible educational disaster that Mr. Gelernter describes is the effectiveness of America’s teachers. Maybe instead of blaming our educational problems on the students, we should look to the teachers. In order for computers and Internet to be properly utilized in the educational system, teachers must be properly prepared for the technology as well. If a child does not learn from using the Internet, it may not be the Internet’s fault, but rather the teacher was not able to teach students with the technology. Gelernter goes into detail on the attention spans of children, and how it is diminishing at an alarming rate. He never bothers to consider any ideas that may lead to keeping students interested in school-related subjects for longer periods of time. He even goes so far as to blame the Internet for being a “propaganda machine” for a child’s short attention span. He claims that as soon as a student gets bored with whatever they’re doing on the Internet, they can just click the mouse and transport somewhere else. Gelernter then complains about the lack of quality control that exists in the world of the Internet. He cites several aspects that are harmful for children to be subjected to. He does not, however, even acknowledge various programs, and parental blocks that are currently in use to keep out the garbage from child viewers. As a...