Today’s Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) features David Robinson (associate director of Princeton University’s Center for Information Technology Policy) review of Mark Bauerlein’s The Dumbest Generation.
Citing NAEP test data, Mr. Bauerlein puts forth the theory that although access to information has never been more cost effective and pervasive, knowledge and test scores do not seem to be rising commensurately. Today’s student, according to Bauerlein, has not limited their TV viewing only supplemented it with text messaging, You Tube videos and MySpace. Thousands of LOLs, ROFLs and short sentences ending in ellipses have denigrated the quality of writing in grade level students leading to a diminished ability to articulate in a professional setting, not to mention diminished interest in scholastics.
While this may be true, sadly, I think administrators will relexively seek to distance themselves from technology in the classroom and keep students further disengaged from instruction that still involves a chalkboard (whiteboard, if you are lucky) and four-colored textbooks.
