Education that Connects

So in Kindergarten, you start learning your vowels, ABC's, 123's, and you enjoy recess. From then on, and get this, your level of education and understanding increase. Wow talk about a concept. Now what could be the reason for this? Probably to help you make something of yourself and succeed in life, because the last thing you want is to wind up being asked questions that make you look stupid on The Tonight Show.

A few weeks ago at my school we had evaluators come and visit. Just in case you don't know, evaluators are teachers and administrators from other schools who come to see how well our school is doing, and decide as to whether or not they may be interested in incorporating our ways into their schools. I, along with some of my classmates, were randomly selected to take part in a discussion about what we thought of our school. Now in my school every student has a laptop, a "tool" used to help the student in his or her studies. When the question about our thoughts on the laptops came up, I said they were unnecessary. It sort of felt like I was alone in my opinion. Why? Well here's my reason. A student doesn't need a computer to learn, believe it or not there was a time where people got an education and succeeded without a computer. There's nothing in school that can't be done without a good ole' piece of paper and pencil. Oh but we need them to turn in our assignments, we need them to gather information for projects. True, but there are things that can be done on a computer at home. "But I need to turn my assignments in." Yes well you can do that at home just like you did in the 7th grade.

Personally I feel computers in class can dumb a student down. A teacher is talking but the student is checking out what happened on LOST, or listening to music, e-mailing, or watching ten guys chase a ball down a court. Now I'll admit, I've done these things, but I'm not proud of it, it's a temptation, but it's how some schools feel they need to operate.

You may be wondering why I'm writing about such a thing. Well I heard a girl at my school ask, "Are there beaches in Georgia?" You see what I mean. I felt like turning around and yelling, "Yes, it's called the coastline! Perhaps you didn't notice the large body of water known at the Atlantic!" And while Sen. Obama may have been tired, you wouldn't want your kid believing that America is made up of 57 states. I'm not saying computers are a problem, and that they'll keep you from graduating the top of your class, just be careful, we don't want to end up nervous and embarrassed like Miss South Carolina 2007. So maybe we should keep the lid closed from time to time, and focus on getting a real education that connects.