for monday

I used my last blog post for this assignment. In reading this I can see that I did not have much metacommentary. I think I only used it twice when I said “The point here...” in the second paragraph and “Ohmann does not disagree…” in the last paragraph. Since I didn’t even have a title, I can’t say I give readers a clue about my essay. After reading this I went through and added three more examples of metacommentary.

Computers in the Classroom

The increase and use of computers in education are the core focuses of Richard Ohmann and WCER's articles. In Richard Ohmann’s article he explains the increase of computers in the classroom while the WCER article discusses ways to make those computers better educational tools. Both articles bring up the question, are computers used effectively in the classroom? Richard Ohmann thinks they are not. WCER thinks they are to an extent but could be used more effectively.
The point here, that computer use in the classroom is being debated, should interest those involved in our education system but should also speak to the entire society. Everyone has some involvement in education, whether it is taking classes, teaching classes, or just knowing a student or teacher. Anyone who cares about the larger issue of the affects of computers in education should care about how they are being used now.

Ohmann is quick to point out the statistics of computers in education by noting, “schools budgeting three times as much on technology in 2000 as in 1992; the typical college doubling its I.T. budget in the 1990s” (63). With this explosion of computers in schools the question of whether or not computers are being used effectively should become paramount in the minds of educators and parents. WCER believes that computers are effective teaching tools. They believe that video games can provide a type of education that has not been present in schools before computers. In other words, WCER feels computers can be an essential part of the classroom.

The education they think is so essential is namely, that video games can provide cyber worlds where students can learn practical applications of skills and interactions with others that are not possible to teach through books and lectures. Since schools cannot send students into the world as city planners or medieval characters in real life, these games can provide an opening to such experiences that is otherwise impossible.

Ohmann does not disagree that such games exist or that teachers are using these games. He does however point out that the majority of computer use in schools is not used to its full potential like it could be with games such as the ones WCER describes. Both articles agree in the idea that computers could and should be used more effectively. While Ohmann feels that this is a difficult battle involving a lot of reformation in the use of computers in schools, WCER suggests that it is much easier. The point is that to use computers more effectively they argue, we only need to take advantage of what they can offer us instead of getting distracted with the simplicity of their use.