Is Early Childhood Education Technology Moving Backwards? 290
theodp writes "Four decades ago, the NSF-sponsored PLATO Elementary Reading Curriculum Project (pdf) provided Illinois schoolchildren with reading lessons and e-versions of beloved children's books that exploited networked, touch-sensitive 8.5"x8.5" bit-mapped plasma screens, color images, and audio. Last week, the Today Show promoted the TeacherMate — a $100 gadget that's teaching Illinois schoolchildren to read and do math using its 2.5" screen and old-school U-D-L-R cursor keys — as a revolution in education. Has early childhood education managed to defy Moore's Law?"
Real question is... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:As Clifford Stoll Said (Score:3, Funny)
Or that a rich banker will always win the game no matter his/her skill level :(
Re:Simple Rugged Durable = Better (Score:5, Funny)
Upon further review, I realize that I did in fact get my first Commodore 64 some years before I was married. Apparently, those early machines were not yet powerful enough to suck the will out of me as effectively as the eight-core media powerhouse to which I am currently in thrall.
Thus, I was still able to reproduce before it was too late.
Re:Going backwards? (Score:2, Funny)
IANAEBIOWTSHLAAIAATCUWTLYWNBUAITT (I Am Not An Engineer, But I Only Want To See How Long An Acronym I Am Able To Come Up With That, Like Your Example, Will Never Be Used Again In The Text)
Re:Simple Rugged Durable = Better (Score:3, Funny)
the percentage of religious nutjobs outside of homeschooling is WAY higher than those inside
True. Almost all homeschooling parents I've met are normal, decent christians, while the public schools are full of crazy nutjobs worshipping the cult of their unholy prophet Darwin.
Re:This is a joke, right? (Score:3, Funny)
"I have no idea how this nonsense got modded as "funny." It's nothing but flamebait at best."
Depends on the audience, dude. Where men are men, and sheep know it, my post would be hilarious - the guys would be rolling around the pasture.
Where men are men and the women know it, I'd be modded insightful.
Where men aren't men, and no one's sure, I'll be modded flamebait or troll.
Where men aren't men, and everyone is willing to admit it, I'll be funny again.
The moderations are insightful, in and of themselves. You can learn what "culture" the moderators share, or hope to share, or wish they shared.
Hope that helps.