Schools use PlayStations to learn

Joliet Herald News ^ | 10/10/2002 | Britt Carson

[hsmomx3]

Educational use: CDs teach Joliet students math and reading

JOLIET - Sony PlayStations are usually associated with video games, but students at Marshall and Kelly elementary schools are finding a more educational use for them this year.

Several classes of students at both schools are taking part in a new program that loans out Sony PlayStations to students for the school year. Instead of video games, the students receive educational CDs with math and reading lessons, said Danielle Gustafson, director of technology for the Joliet Grade School District.

"The kids are very excited about using them," Gustafson said.Before the PlayStations are loaned out to each student, a parent must attend a training session or meet with the teachers to see how the program works.

The program is first being offered to third- and fourth-graders at Kelly and fifth-graders at Marshall, Gustafson said. The PlayStations, which cost a total of $50,000, were purchased with some of the district's $500,000 in technology grant money it received last year. Although the program just got off the ground, initial feedback has been very positive.

"The teachers are very impressed with the higher-level thinking skills in the program," Gustafson said. "The response has been great."

Members of the district's technology committee are excited to see the results of the program. "This brings a whole different meaning to PlayStation," said board member David Evans.

The device can also play regular PlayStation games, although only the educational CDs are being loaned out for student use. Board member Paul Hopkins described the program as a "low-cost way of sending a laptop home that is more user-friendly."

Gustafson attended a conference that discussed the success of the program, which is being used in schools across the country. The two schools in Joliet just started using the program this month.

Not only is the program beneficial to the students, but it is another tool to get parents more involved in understanding the school's curriculum.

"This really increases the level of communication between the teachers, parents and students," Gustafson said. "We are always looking to improve student achievement, and if this does have a good impact on kids, then this was a good endeavor."

Reporter Britt Carson can be reached at (815) 729-6172 or via e-mail at bcarson@scn1.com.

[hsmomx3]

I had heard about this on cable news but I see many problems with this type of learning. If kids are trained to click and point, how will they ever leanr/know how to actually write?

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[dfwgator]

If I ran the world, students would never see a computer in school. The point is to learn how to think, computers short-circuit that.

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[jodorowsky]

bump of that from a computer scientist

[LeftIsSinister]

These can be abused, but anything can. I've sat through many worthless classes watching videos or filmstrips.

On the other hand, if they are used appropriately, I think this could work well. From what I've read about the programs, they allow kids to progress at their own paces. It won't beat personal attention by a parent or tutor but it will be more than they'll get in a 30-student babysitting session, I mean, class period.

I also wonder why you claim computers short circuit one's ability to think. Well-written educational software, even some games, has the opposite effect. I remember playing "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiago?" and getting something out of it. In college I used Mathematica to simplify equations that would have taken hours by hand. Yes, we did learn those techniques by hand, and applied them to many exercises--but when it came time to apply them to realistic (non-toy) situations, the computer enabled that to happen.

I'm not claiming they won't be abused; kids will play mindless games instead, steal them, etc. Teachers will use them as babysitters. I am claiming that if used effectively they can be an aid to learning rather than a hinderance. Or, just plain clueless teachers and students will spend hours trying to plug things in and turn things on instead of getting to any learning material (reminds me of high school calculus and the big box o' graphing calculators).

But then again, we could all go back to grunting at each other and drawing in the dirt. My point is that students should be comfortable with current technologies AND still know the theory behind things. The smart kids always have and will continue to do this, and the dumb kids never did even before computers entered the classroom.

[dfwgator]

I make my living in IT as well. Now if they allowed students to read FR at work, I may reconsider my stance. ;)

[dfwgator]

I meant in class, not work. See these damn computers drop points off your IQ.

[PureSolace]

bump from a video game developer who wants to make money off of US tax dollars putting this in public schools!

[dfwgator]

I have no problem with computer programs at home that complement classroom learning.

[dd5339]

I would suggest reading Susan Wise and Jessie Bauer's "Well Trained Mind". It is a great homeschooling book regarding teaching a classical education.

They point out that the majority of, "computer learning" is passive as it provides cute colorful images to go along with the text, while reading a book is an active skill. It requires the full engagement of the brain in order to imagine what is written in the book.

Where I work we utilize a lot of computer based training. Except for the classes that are pass or fail it's possible to simply go back and click another answer until you select the right one. This method, while it gets you through the CBT, (computer based training) does not give you any mastery of the subject matter.

I do agree about the hours of worthless videos and films in school. It's a waste of time and prime example of passive learning.

Computers in a learning environment should be used as any other tool. They should not substitute for the actual teaching.

Semper Fi

[ladylib]

These teachers are going to do themselves out of a job. I'm surprised they're so enthusiastic about it.

[AdA$tra]

If I ran the world, students would never see a computer in school. The point is to learn how to think, computers short-circuit that.

Part of me tends to agree. But the reality is that ANY job that pays a dime, involves having a PC on your desk and knowing how to make productive use of it. One still needs the basics to succeed as well, but to me computeR is the fourth "R".

[Bush2000]

Sony PlayStations are usually associated with video games, but students at Marshall and Kelly elementary schools are finding a more educational use for them this year.

I'm sure that the teachers taking their coffee breaks are finding this particularly useful.

[LeftIsSinister]

I work in simulation and a bit in training. I've seen a lot of bad CBT. You're right, in many of them, you can hit random buttons and get through the course with a pass. Programs that just throw up multiple-choice Q&A are a waste; you might as well do that the low-tech way with pencil and paper (ah, yes, Scantron, the other crutch-of-choice for teachers everywhere).

Also, I agree about the cute and colorful, but meaningless, images in a lot of educational software. These may be good for showing a young kid how to use a computer, but maybe not much beyond that.

I prefer educational games that actively engage the players--if you're passive, nothing happens, or you just "die." SimCity is a good example, and was used with no or minor changes in some classrooms. Sessions with a game like this could be combined with classical book learning about budgeting etc.

My point is that I think computers are wonderful tools for self-teaching and discovery. Ideally this would take place at home, and so maybe computers in the classroom would be distracting--but for some kids, that's their only exposure to them. As for using computers to substitute for teachers, probably not, but I can think of some of my past teachers who could have easily been replaced with tree stumps.

I'm biased because I always hated sitting through classes. It was not the case that I was so smart that I already knew the stuff (especially once I hit college-prep courses), but I found that I never learned anything just from listening to a lecture. I just wanted to get the assignment and go work things out on my own. These problems may be more attributable to huge class sizes rather than to teaching quality, but either way, I can honestly say I rarely learned anything in the class period itself. I excelled on my own, often using the aid of a computer, and that's why I'm open to the use of computers in school--as long as decent software and policies are used. But like I said, maybe I'm just biased based on my own experiences.