The Alliance for Childhood is one of the most famous organizations, which aim at promoting children healthy development, their enjoyment of this life, and love to education. Nowadays, the vast majority of children cannot imagine their lives without computers: they may communicate being far from each other, play various games, listen to music, find more friends online, and get their education.
However, as The Alliance for Childhood states, people’s faith in technology should not be higher than children’s needs. The representatives of this organization admit that “the renewal of education requires personal attention to students from good teachers and active parents, strongly supported by their communication.” (The Alliance for Childhood)
Lots of parents think that the earlier their child will learn how to use computer, the better job will be waiting for him/her in future. The Alliance for Childhood cannot agree with such a point, neither do I. Parents are afraid that their children may be left behind, this is why they are eager to use all chances, which are presented to them. “Wiring and computerizing America’s schools is an urgent priority – not for children, but for high-tech companies that need to constantly expand their markets.” (The Alliance for Childhood)
This is why it is crucially important to pay attention to ethical and social technological implications. The Alliance for Childhood focuses on the importance of physical, emotional, and social development of children.
Computers pose certain hazards to child’s life, and the mission of parents and teachers is to protect future generation from destructions and health problems, caused by computers. Of course, there are certain benefits of computers and the abilities children may get, however, it is necessary to remember about the limits and pay enough attention to active life, healthy food, and real communication – and all this is impossible to get sitting in front of the computer.
Microsoft Word and Writing Poetries
The Microsoft Word program turns out to be rather helpful for completing different kinds of assignment. Students get much more opportunities to demonstrate their creativeness, present quite interesting ideas in order to explain the topic under consideration, and represent their personal vision of the issue. The Microsoft Word program may be also used as a helpful tool to teach students of upper elementary schools on how to write poetry.
Without any doubts, students may get lots of benefits using the Microsoft Word program. Microsoft Word may correct automatically students’ spelling mistakes and underline the sentences, which may cause some doubts. With the help of this program, students can easily find out several synonyms to make the work more sound.
It is quite possible to add a captivating picture or any other illustrative material in order to attract reader’s attention. However, it is necessary to remember that this program deprive students from the opportunity to correct all the mistakes and train him/herself to pay attention to each detail in the work. Students can just rely on the corrections, their computers should make.
But still, Microsoft Word cannot be sure about the proper use of this or that word. When a student creates poetry, it is necessary to use soul and imagination. Of course, this program helps to represent the ideas in the best ways; but the works created by means of some computer programs may be usually deprived of soul and personal emotions, and such deprivation is not inherent to real pieces of art.
Poetry is something that should come from the heart; the Microsoft Word program can help to present the ideas in a really attractive way, but still, students should not rely on this program only in order not to forget about emotions, which are not inherent to computers.
Presentation for the Parents’ Open House Evening
Parents’ open house evenings play a very important role in the life of school and each student. Students have a wonderful chance to demonstrate their abilities and underline the issues, which are crucially important for students. This is why it is very important to present captivating presentation and use of the reliable material to prove or disprove some fact.
Within 15 minutes, it is quite possible to present the topic and explain its strong and weak points. However, certain steps have to be taken. First, it is necessary to choose the appropriate media for the presentation and for the display. Nowadays, a lot of things can be made with the help of computers.
If yesterday, people spend much time to paint something or create the necessary exhibits, nowadays, the same people have a good chance to make a presentation within several minutes – all the necessary example can be created on computers and presented to the smart auditory.
Of course, one of the most reliable and frequently used media is CD-R or even CD-RW disks in compatible format. It is crucially important to close the session, otherwise, the information on the disk will be impossible to read on the PCs. Second, it is better to make several copies of the disk and check whether the information on it is available.
To make the presentation really captivating, it is better to use big and not quite bright letters. This way, parents will not spend their time and efforts to view the information. It is also better not to use too complicated terminology, because not each parent can be aware about it. This is why it is better to find the way to speak to the point and use simple language. Interesting photos and real life facts – this is also what can make the presentation better.
Computers Are Needed in Classes
Without any doubts, the use of computers makes our lives easier. Students have a wonderful opportunity to prepare interesting tasks and do not pay much attention to their spelling, as they truly believe that certain computer programs will make all the necessary corrections.
Teachers may spend less time to check each work, because computer programs may be rather helpful. Is it correct that computers turn out to be so crucially important in our lives? There are actually so many doubts according to this very answer. But, this time, we have another question to consider: whether computers are so important in schools.
In fact, computers in education may be rather helpful. The Internet and emails may easily stimulate the student to work “because they notice that they have audience.” (Ortega and Bravo, 2000) This is why it is better to use any means to attract student’s attention to study.
However, it is also important to analyze what classrooms should be equipped with computers and students of what age should use them. To my mind, libraries and labs should have several computers in order to make the work of students easier and provide them with more time for researching. With the help of computers, students find the necessary material quicker and can concentrate on the assignment itself.
At such classrooms where the lessons on literature, language, and history take place, computers are not necessary. However, where certain experiments take place or when students learn to programming or design, the computers should be obviously present.
The students of 10-12 years do not pass such classes as programming or science; this is why the students of such age and early may study without computer support. As for the other students, to get proper education, they should have an access to computers and be involved into the work.
Reference List
Alliance for Childhood. (2000). Computers and Children: A Call for Action. Web.
Cordes, C., and Miller, E. (Eds.) (2000). Fools Gold: A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood. Alliance for Childhood. Web.
Ortega, M. and Bravo, J. (2000). Computers and Education in the 21 st Century. Springer.