Computers in Education

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Computers in Education
The history of computers in education has been variously characterized as an "accidental revolution" or
"unthinking man and his thinking machines." Others have said that the computer revolution has changed
the adage that "necessity is the mother of invention" to "in a computer world, invention is the mother of
necessity." However characterized, it is clear that innovators in this field have created some of the most
provocative and stimulating ideas in the history of education. What follows is a brief chronological
history of some of the more interesting ideas and developments.
Broadly speaking, the two major functions of education are to transmit the culture, values and lessons of
the past to the current generation; and to prepare our children for the world in which they will live.
Preparing children for the world in which they will live is becoming more difficult than ever. In
retrospect, there has been a confluence of changes that have significantly impacted the direction of
modern education.
A Review of Arguments for the Use of Computers in Elementary Education
In recent times, critical opinion has appeared concerning the use of computers by children and
adolescents, especially in education at the primary and high schoollevels. We begin by citing and
summarizing some of the arguments given in favor of the use of computers by children and in
education. Then we argue against them using some opinions which we consider to be non-standard.
Each year, new technologies hold the promise to alter the way we think and learn. Computers are
prevalent everywhere, and they are making their way into school systems around the country. It is
obvious that there is a demand for technological instruction in high school and college. However, the
question of if computers should be implemented into early childhood classrooms is still prudent. With
computers all around us, it is inevitable that children will be exposed to them, and they will eventually
be facilitated into their daily lives.
Arguments in favor of early use
Let us introduce here some arguments for using computers in education, at home and in school, using
quotations.
T.Oppenheimer, in a recent article criticizing indiscriminate introduction of computers in schools, lists
the following popular reasons for "computerizing our nation's [the USA] schools," [1]:
1. "Computers improve both teaching and student achievement."
2. "Computer literacy should be taught as early as possible; otherwise students will be left behind."
3. "Technology programs leverage support from the business community badly needed today
because schools are increasingly starved for funds."
4. "To make tomorrow's work force competitive in an increasingly high-tech world, learning computer
skills must be a priority."
5. "Work with computers - particularly using the Internet - brings students valuable connections with
teachers, other schools and students, and a wide network of professionals around the globe. Those
connections spice the school day with a sense of real-world relevance, and broaden the educational
community."
6. Let us now hear a strong fighter for the introduction of computers in education, who gives deeper
reasons. We will cite him in chronological order.
In his book "Mindstorms" [2], S.Papert writes:
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7. "I began to see how children who had learned how to program a computer could use very concrete
computer models to think about thinking and to .earn about learning and in doing so, enhance their
powers as psychologists and as epistemologists." [p. 23]
8. "I believe that the computer as a writing instrument offers children an opportunity to become more
like adults, indeed like advanced professionals, in their relationships to other intellectual products
and to themselves." [p. 31]
9. "Increasingly, the computers of the very near future will be the private property of individuals, and
this will gradually return to the individual the power to determine patterns of education. Education
will become more of a private act... There will be new opportunities for imagination and
originality."
10. "... the computer may serve as a force to break down the line between the 'two cultures' [humanities
and science]. ... So in this book I try to show how the computer presence can bring children in a
more humanistic as well as a more humane relationship with mathematics." [p. 38]
11. "LOGO environments are not [Brazilian] samba schools, but they are useful for imagining what it
would be like to have a 'samba school for mathematics.' ... The computer brings it into the realm of
the possible by providing mathematically rich activities which could, in principle, be truly engaging
for the novice and the expert, young and old." [p. 182]
12. "The computer can be seen as an engine that can be harnessed to existing structures in order to
solve, in local and incremental measures, the problems that face schools as they exist today." [p.
186]
In his book "The Children's Machine" [3], Papert says:
13. Across the world children have entered a passionate and enduring love affair with the computer."
14. "The introduction of computers is not the first challenge to education values".
15. "The computer graphics and the artificial creature projects give a glimpse of directions of change of
School that move toward megachange." [p. 21]
In his book "The Connected Family" [11] Papert says:
16. "Across the world there is a passionate love affair between children and computers." [p. 1]
17. "The best uses of computers that I have seen in homes are so much better than what is being done
with computers in most schools that I have come to see home computing as a major (perhaps the
major) source of pressure for educational reform." [p. 15]
18. "... one of the big contributions-of the computer is the opportunity for children to experience the
thrill of chasing after knowledge they really want." [p. 19]
19. "What will children learn by making a game? They will learn some technical things, for example to
program computers. ... They will develop some psychological, social and moral kinds of thinking.
Most important of all in my view is that children will develop their sense of self and of control. For
instance, they will begin to learn what it's like to control their own intellectual activity." [p. 47]
20. "... parents should recognize the need to build new kinds of relationships with their children and
should see the computer as a vehicle for building, rather than as an obstacle to, family cohesion." [p.
79.
21. "... using the children's enthusiasm for computers as a basis for enhancing the family's learning
culture." "Computer learning experiences give the family a chance to become more aware of its
learning culture and a chance to work at slowly (cultures never change fast) improving it." [p. 81]
Patterns
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Examining these arguments, the following patterns emerge (at the end of each item we refer to the
above arguments which apply to it):
a) Computers should be learned and used as soon as possible because they will be essential for the
individual in the professional working place (2,4).
b) Students who do not master computers will not keep pace with their classmates (2).
c) Computers improve students' achievements (1,19).
d) Computers accelerate children's development, mainly intellectual (6,7,19).
e) Computers may provide a free environment for learning (7,8,18).
f) Computers may promote social (and family) cohesion (20,21).
g) Computers provide a fascinating learning environment, one that attracts children and young
people.
h) Computers provide for a challenge of traditional educational methods and values (11,14,15,17).
i) Computers induce a certain vision of the world (12).
j) Computers make it possible to learn without tensions and pressures (10,13,18).
k) Computers (through the Internet) make students get interested in foreign cultures and people (5).
l) Computers develop self-control (19).
m) Computers may be used to make children conscious of their own thinking process (6,7,19).
n) Computers provide for an individual way and pace of learning (8).
We want to add the following patterns that did not appear in the quotations:
o) Children have to learn computers otherwise they will be afraid of them at adult ages.
p) Children who don't use a computer at home may develop psychological and social
problems (e.g. a sense of inferiority).
q) Through the Internet, computers make it possible for students to access all sorts
of information not available through other means.
Critique of the patterns
a. It is a great fallacy that children and young people have to learn computers now because:
otherwise thy will fall behind in their future search for professional jobs. Computers are
becoming so easy to use and learn, on-line tutorials and helps are becoming so powerful, that
any person will be able to learn how to use computers very fast at any age. We believe that the
use of computers will be part of on-the-job training, provided by the enterprises themselves. Just
look at the millions of people now using computers without having had any previous special
training, sometimes just with some hints from other people. It is a fact that many adults are
afraid of computers (r), but we presume this will not be the case with children who were born
after the introduction of personal computers, which have become as common as airplanes. How
many people are nowadays afraid of flying in a plane? A fraction of those who were when
planes were still not so common in our skies; furthermore, there is a certain physical danger in
flying, but apparently none when using a computer.
b. This pattern applies mainly to the use of computers by children at home. Here we have to
consider two cases: they are also used in school, so there is no need to install them at home; or
they are not used in school. In the latter case, it is necessary to consider if teachers are requiring
something that only students with computers at home can do, for instance handing in an essay
necessarily composed with text editor, or looking for some information through the Internet. In
these and similar cases, the teacher should be advised that it is not fair to discriminate against
students who don't have access to a computer. Moreover, if a parent considers that his children
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should not use computers, as we are trying to show here, he or she should look for an
appropriate school which does not use them in the educational process (at least at the elementary
level) and does not require their use at home. We are aware that this is going to be increasingly
difficult; we should fight for the existence of alternative schools, in these case those that do not
advocate the use of computers in education before high school. We will expound on this later.
c. One of the reasons computers seem to be excellent tools for learning is the attraction they
exercise upon children and teen-agers. But if we go deep into this phenomenon, it is possib.e to
observe that this attraction is due to two main reasons: what we call the "cosmetics" and the
"video game" effects. Inthe first case, users are attracted by the multi-media effects, such as
fascinating pictures, sound and animation. In the second, by an excitement similar to that felt
when playing a video game: the setting is perfectly, mathematically defined, and the user feels
the power of completely being able to force the machine to do what was expected, or not being
able to discover by trial-and-error an appropriate command or sequence of commands - the user
enters into a state of excitement which stems from a purely intellectual challenge. We mean here
a challenge which has nothing to do with physical ability (such as those required in sports). The
certainty that one will eventually discover the right way to do something with the computer
attracts the user to such a degree that he forgets everything else, entering what we have called
"the obsessive user state."
Thus, when used for educational programs, what attracts the child or adolescent is not the beauty
or interest of the contents being learned, but these cosmetic and video game effects. One may
object that a human teacher also tries to present each subject in a fascinating fashion. We would
object that she would be using her own enthusiasm, and the knowledge she has of her class to
present the subject in a agreeable way, which should be appropriate to her students at their age
and proper development, and certainly without forgetting the contents; In other words, the
subject should be presented in a contextual form, appropriate to the students in that class.
Educational software does not have the ability of "knowing" or deducing what is the student's
context: what she or he has learned the week or even the year before, what has been happening
around or in the world, etc.
An interesting question is this: what happens to a student who gets used to learning with
computers? Is she going to tolerate a normal class without all those cosmetic and video game
effects? How about the interest in reading and studying through books, and the concentration
necessary for this activity?

Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe or modify other words. They can identify or quantify another
person or thing in the sentence. Adjectives are usually positioned before the noun or the pronoun that
they modify.
In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives:
1. They live in a beautiful house.
2. Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt today.

Adjectives in English are invariable. They do not change their form depending on the gender or
number of the noun.
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2.

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This is a hot potato.

Those are some hot potatoes.

To emphasise or strengthen the meaning of an adjective, use the adverbs very or really in front of the
adjective you want to strengthen.
1.
2.

This is a very hot potato

Those are some really hot potatoes.

Adjectives can also appear after being and sensing verbs like to be, to seem , to look & to taste.
1.
2.

Italy is beautiful.
I don't think she seems nice at all.

3.

You look tired.

4.

This meat tastes funny.

The adjectives involved, present & concerned can appear either before or after the noun that they
modify, but with a different meaning depending on the placement.
Adjective placed after
the noun
I want to see the people
involved.

Meaning

Adjective placed
before the noun

I want to see the people who

It was an involved
have something to do with this
discussion.
matter.

Meaning
The discussion was
detailed and complex.

Here is a list of the people Here is a list of the people who The present situation The current situation
present at the meeting. were at the meeting.
is not sustainable.
is not sustainable.
I need to see the man
concerned by this
accusation.

I need to see the man who has A concerned father

A worried father came
been accused.
came to see me today. to see me today.

Forming Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

1. One-syllable adjectives
form the comparative and superlative forms by adding -er for the comparative form and -est for
the superlative.
One-Syllable Adjective

Comparative Form

Superlative Form

tall

taller

tallest

old

older

oldest

long

longer

longest

Mary is taller than Max.

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Mary is the tallest of all the students.

Max is older than John.
Of the three students, Max is the oldest.
My hair is longer than your hair.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add -r for the comparative form
and -st for the superlative form.
One-Syllable Adjective with Final -e
large
wise

Comparative Form
larger
wiser

Superlative Form
largest
wisest

Mary's car is larger than Max's car.

Mary's house is the tallest of all the houses
Max is wiser than his brother.
Max is the wisest person I know.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double the

consonant and add -er for the comparative form; and double the consonant and add -est, for the
superlative form.
One-Syllable Adjective Ending with a
Comparative Form Superlative Form
Single Consonant with a Single Vowel before It
big

bigger

biggest

thin

thinner

thinnest

fat

fatter

fattest

My dog is bigger than your dog.

My dog is the biggest of all the dogs in the neighborhood,
Max is thinner than John.
Of all the students in the class, Max is the thinnest.
Mary is the fattest person I've ever seen.

2. Two-syllable adjectives

With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with
most.
Two-Syllable Adjective
peaceful
pleasant
careful
thoughtful

Comparative Form

Superlative Form

more peaceful
more pleasant
more careful
more thoughtful

most peaceful
most pleasant
most careful
most thoughtful

Max's house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world.

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Max is more careful than Mike.

Of all the taxi drivers, Jack is the most careful.
Jill is more thoughtful than your sister.
Mary is the most thoughtful person I've ever met.

If the two-syllable adjectives ends with -y, change they to i and add -er for the comparative form.
For the superlative form change the y to i and add -est.
Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -y
happy
angry
busy

Comparative Form
happier
angrier
busier

Superlative Form
happiest
angriest
busiest

John is happier today than he was yesterday.

John is the happiest boy in the world.
Max is angrier than Mary.
Of all of John's victims, Max is the angriest.
Mary is busier than Max.
Mary is the busiest person I've ever met.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in -er, -le, or -ow take -er and -est to form the comparative and
superlative forms.
Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -er,-le,-ow
narrow
gentle

Comparative Form
Superlative Form
narrower
narrowest
gentler
gentlest

The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city.
This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California.
Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.

3. Adjectives with three or more syllables

For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the
superlative with most.
Adjective with Three or More Syllables

Comparative Form

Superlative Form

generous

more generous

most generous

important

more important

most important

intelligent

more intelligent

most intelligent

John is more generous than Jack.

John is the most generous of all the people I brow.
Health is more important than money.
Of all the people I know, Max is the most important.
Mary is the most intelligent person I've ever met.
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Exceptions
Irregular Adjective

Comparative Form

good
bad
far
little
many

Superlative Form

better
worse
farther
less
more

best
wost
farthest
least
most

Italian food is better than American food.

My dog is the best dog in the world.

Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules. These adjectives can be used with -er and est and
with more and most.
Two-Syllable Adjective

Comparative

Form

Superlative Form

clever

cleverer

cleverest

clever

more clever

most clever

gentle

gentler

gentlest

gentle

more gentle

most gentle

friendly

friendlier

friendliest

friendly

more friendly

most friendly

quiet

quieter

quietest

quiet

more quiet

most quiet

simple

simpler

simplest

Adjective Word Order

The use of adjectives is essential when trying to describe a noun or pronoun.
Good writers and speakers are able to use adjectives to create clear, mental
images for the reader or listener. As you continue to work on your English, dont
be afraid to use multiple adjectives to describe something. When using multiple
adjectives in a sequence, you must be aware of the correct adjective order.
The proper order of adjectives is listed below along with some examples for each
category.
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1. Determiners a, an, the, my, your, several, etc.

2. Observations lovely, boring, stimulating, etc.
3. Size tiny, small, huge, etc.
4. Shape round, square, rectangular, etc.
5. Age old, new, ancient, etc.
6. Color red, blue, green, etc.
7. Origin British, American, Mexican, etc.
8. Material gold, copper, silk, etc.
9. Qualifier limiters for compound nouns.

Here are some examples:

"The interesting, small, rectangular, blue car is parked in my space."
"I bought a beautiful, long, red, Italian, silk tie."
"My father lives in a lovely, gigantic, ancient, brick house."
"I have an annoying, small, circular, American, tin, alarm clock that wakes
me up."
"Lets order a delicious, huge, rectangular, pepperoni pizza."
"We all love our smart, petite, British teacher."
"They all received several dazzling, small, ancient, gold coins."
"She owns a stunning, large, old, brown dog named Boris."

Now choose the correct sentence:

1:
A green, ugly tie.
A green, tie ugly.
An ugly, green tie.
2:
An old, interesting book.
An interesting, old book.
A book, interesting old.
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3:
A wooden, big, white table.
A big, white, wooden table.
A white, big, wooden table.
4:
A tiny, bent, old, blue, Swiss pen.
An old, blue, tiny, bent, Swiss pen.
A bent, tiny, old, blue, Swiss pen.
5:

My middle-aged, tall, Italian, funny, husband.

My tall, funny, middle-aged, Italian husband.
My funny, tall, middle-aged, Italian husband.

Exercises
1. Make up sentences using the + comparative ... the + comparative construction.
1) you/much/study/you/much/know
2) we/many/be/it /merry/be
3) you/much/walk/you/much/tired/feel
4) the flat/small/be/the rent/low/be
5) you/drive/fast/it/dangerous/be
6) the speech/long/be/it/boring/be
7) you/sleep/little/you/tired/be
8) you/have/much/money/you/much/spend
9) she/eat/little/she/feel/weak
10) the/conference/long/be/bored/spectators/be

2. Match the adverbs or the adverb particles in column A with the nouns in column B so as to make
fixed phrases.
Model: 6) k) the up escalator
A
1) the above
2) the downstairs
3) the inside
4) the then
5) the down
6) the up

B
a) cover
b) statement
c) strain
d) win
e) lavatory
f) bathroom
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7) an outside
8) the upstairs
9) a home
10) inside
11) an away

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g) line
h) match
i) chairman
j) information
k)escalator

3. The words in italics are both adjectives and adverbs. Discriminate between them either by paraphrase
or translation. Put them in sentences of your own
Model: sharp eyes adjectiv

look sharp adverb

1)
3)
5)
7)
9)
11)
13)
15)
17)
19)
21)
23)
25)
27)
29)

go through;
a low bridge;
on the farther side
go there yearly
cut it clean
the inside story
overseas travel
do worse than ...
hold firm
a dear bouquet
talk big
run cold
airmail letter
play all day
an extra blanket

2) a through train
4) aim low
6) walk farther
8) a yearly visit
10) a clean chair
12) stay inside
14) travel overseas
16) worse remarks
18) a firm belief
20) sell it dear
22) a big house
24) a cold person
26) send it airmail
28) an all day match
30) charge extra

4. Each intensifier collocates only with three adjectives. Cross the odd one out.
1) GRAVELY

ill; worried; injured; mistaken

2) BRILLIANTLY

perfect; designed; clever; coloured

3) INTENSELY

concerned; loving; cold; competitive

4) DEFINITELY

mistaken; the best; unique; wrong

5) CRUELLY

afflicted; disappointed; deceived; bitten

6) HOPELESSLY

badly; confused; sad; outnumbered

7) HIDEOUSLY

expensive; ugly; loud; deformed

8) CONSIDERABLY cheaper; colder; sorry; better;

9) KEENLY

competitive; insistent; interested; aware

10) BEAUTIFULLY

intricate; organized; dressed; simple

5. Match the two parts of the compound adjectives in column A and column B.
A

B
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1) self
2) mass
3) last
4) level
5) safety
6) so
7) home
8) tight
9) oven
10) long

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a) proof
b) standing
c) called
d) made
e) fisted
f) minded
g) headed
h)conscious
i)circulation
j) ditch

6. Use each compound adjective in the exercise above to complete one of the sentences below.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

Sarah should be more .both at work and at home.

The two parties involved in the conflict made a ..effort to reach an agreement.
They have atradition of spending Christmas together in the heart of the mountains.
He is known to be quite...when it comes to buying presents for his in-laws.
Jane doesnt wear short skirts as they make her feel....
Take a(n)................dish and heat your food.
We like only ..cookies.
He buys only.newspapers.

7. Translate into English

1) Cu ct ai mai mult treab cu att timpul trece mai repede.
2) Ultima versiune a acestui program de calculator e de departe cea mai bun dintre toate versiunile
existente pe pia la ora actual.
3) Este cu att mai bine dac vei nva i tu la aceeai coal cu noi.
4) Pentru ca pompierii s poat intra n cas s salveze copiii, au fost nevoii s sparg ua.
5) Cu ct munceti mai mult cu att vei face progrese mai mari, iar succesul va fi mai aproape.
6) Ioana era foarte ncntat deoarece tocmai achiziionase o canapea extensibila albastr, din piele.
7) Este mult mai puin avantajos s-i cumperi main nou n rate, pentru c astfel suma care
trebuie pltit crete considerabil.
8) Este cu att mai bine dac te-ai hotrt s participi la tombol, cci nu se tie niciodat cnd i
poate surde norocul.
9) Dac ai petrece mai mult timp studiind, toi profesorii ar fi mai mulumii de rezultatele tale, iar
prinii s-ar simi mai linitii i poate c i-ar oferi drept cadou o excursie la Paris.
10) Cnd te vei simi sigur pe tine d-i un telefon i spune-i c ai dori s mai ncerci o dat; poate
eti mai norocos de data asta.

Life and Adjectives

Office was buzzing with voices of my colleagues and vendors who had come for some discussion.
There is this guy, a carpet vendor; he is a typical marketing guy. Always remembers everyones name,
always smiling and always trying to persuade everyone and anyone that his carpets are the best in the
business. A very jolly kind of a character, we all start smiling when we see him entering the office. His
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voice is loud and strong and so we all instantly come to know that he has come! Today, my colleague
was trying to achieve a certain rate with him, this guy as usual was polite yet stubborn, and he was
smiling yet witty. My colleague, irritated a little by his attitude, frowned and said, Dont use these
adjectives, your adjectives are not going to get me convinced! this guy replied instantly, OhNo Sir,
adjectives make life interesting! How could I not use them! and smiled hard again!
My colleague finally couldnt help but smile too!
His statement made me write this post, it struck me so much! Isnt it true? Adjectives make our life
interesting!! We can make our life happier than it is by adjectives, we can make it lousy than it actually
is, by adjectives. We express our feelings with adjectives; we disagree with someone with adjectives.
For example if I want to say, I am bored! I would rather say, I am incredibly bored! and that
would reach out to everyone quickly! If I want to express happiness, instead of merely saying I am
happy, I would say, I am ecstatically happy!
We all do that..right! Our life has become vibrant and happening only because of these adjectives.

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