Oh, no, Mr. Bill, part 2

Based on the response of email and letters this past week, you'd think that my last column was about things like "Why school vouchers will ultimately create a two-class learning society" or "Seven simple ways libraries can censor your Internet access". You know, really emotional topics. [See our e-rate forum and McClimans's previous column]

Instead, I discussed the misguided notion that computers in every classroom will result in straight-A students (which it won't) and the admittedly biased point that I don't like the idea of Microsoft (or any one vendor) dominating the classroom.

At the risk of inciting an even greater level of response this week, let me expand on my comments of last week. Here are five basic "This is the way it is, accept it" statements:

1. Anybody can learn to use a computer. Computers are getting easier and easier to use every day. Not sure of this? Go to a McDonalds and see how many not-quite high-school grads can push the button for Value Meal #3.

2. Anybody can learn to use a computer network. In fact, the younger you start, the more likely you are to "think" in terms of networked information. The biggest problems we have today involve users with pre-conceived notions of how information should be located and stored (often based upon their hardcopy experiences).

3. Not everybody can design a computer (or a computer network). I've done a lot of work with user organizations (and vendors as well) and I've seen some amazing things people have tried to do with computers.

4. Information and technology are not easy to understand. Our future lies in our children being able to understand how "networked" societies work, and in having a thirst for knowledge fueled by a basic understanding of the fundamentals.

   When I suggest that we teach kids about networking and computers, rather than how to blindly use these systems, I am not talking about "Routing 101" classes. I am talking about making sure that students get a solid education in the fundamentals that allows them to understand how things operate, to question why things work a particular way and to be curious about why one system (whether technical, social, political, etc.) works a particular way while another works completely differently.

   Perhaps more important, discussions of technology and information need to take place early and often (in both the home and the school). As the availability of information has increased, so too has the availability of "questionable" content. To be quite serious, I think many of our kids need to be properly educated about many dangers, including drugs, gangs, bigotry and misinformation.

5. Picking which vendors provide technology to our classrooms (if we have "application testing standards") will be a nightmare. Already we have vendors jockeying for mindshare in our schools: vendors such as Microsoft and Apple donate significant amounts of technology (usually reduced cost purchases). I can see the battle cries now: Why should Microsoft be the "portal" for our schools? Why not AOL? Why not Netscape? How about the new Disney/Infoseek? And what about our word processors? Do we standardize on Word or WordPerfect? Perhaps we should force our schools to standardize on whatever application happens to be the industry standard? Most business organizations have a difficult time supporting their own internal networks and computers. What makes us think that school systems will be any better at it with less resources?

   Despite these problems, the fact remains that we are rapidly becoming a technology-oriented society. Further, these new technologies are going to be part of our children's lives no matter what we do. Fortunately, actually using a particular program is the easy part. But I'd rather prepare my kids to understand the technology and be able to build these types of systems than train them to be users.

   We already have far too many Nintendo and AOL Chat "experts" as it is. Rather than teach a student how ot use an Internet search engine, make sure they understand the fundamentals of research. Rather than have them compile a spreadsheet, teach them the basics of math and accounting. And before you show them how to use a word-processor's style sheets, make them write a coherent letter first. If we teach them these basics, then they will have the inherent ability to use the "easy to use" computer applications that will be on their desktop at work.

   So what does this have to do with networking? Everything. For our economy to continue to grow strong (and for our business to continue to flourish), we need skilled talent to help design, plan, maintain and support advanced information systems. This need currently spans a significant portion of our economy, and it is only going to increase in the future.

   The goal of a history teacher should not be to recite past events. And the goal of teachers should not be to merely use technology in the classroom, but to understand - and then teach - how that technology affects our lives and how we might shape it in the future to better ourselves.