Mandatory Blog post #8 - Selfe

The invention of the computer changed the humanities forever. It was a type writer where you could make changes and corrections as you were typing. It was a way to do research without the need for physical books. It completely rocked the literary world.

In 1996, President Clinton announced the Technology Literacy Challenge, in which the government would fund efforts to strengthen technological literacy. Its goal was to have computers in every school, teach the teachers how to use them and finally, to teach the students. President Clinton saw the importance of computers and their role in literacy and the economy. He understood that computers were going to become a staple in the average persons life within the next few years. This meant that it was essential to the future of the country for everyone to learn how to use this important new technology.

The first step was to put computers into schools. This was accomplished, but not to everyone's liking. Many underfunded schools had fewer computers than other schools, so there were not enough computers for every student to use. The second step was to teach the teachers how to use these technologies. This was and still is an obstacle. Many teachers received less than eight hours worth of training and many still do not use computers in an effective way: they are used mainly for PowerPoint. The third step was to have the students understand them. This did happen, not because of the teachers, but because of the ease of access to computers; the students taught themselves.

Because the plan was to increase technological literacy, a lot of money was put into the success of the home computer. That plan worked and now the majority of homes in America have computers in them. That doesn't mean, however, that the users know what they're doing all of the time.

Many home computers are owned by older people who use it to maybe check their emails, see family on Facebook or to download dozens toolbars onto their browser. These people understand the bare essentials, but may still fall victim to Internet scams or malware ridden websites. This is understandable because computers were implemented into their lives much later, than say ours. Our generation has no excuse to not understand computers.


  
 It was the job of our teachers to teach us how to use computers. I know that I was taught ineffectively in my pre-college education, but I had a home computer so I was able to teach myself. I was never taught about online databases for research, I learned that in college. My school had plenty of computers, but we were never taught how to use them to their full potential. The problem that Selfe points out, is that even tough teachers were briefed on new technology, that they didn't implement them properly in their lesson plans. Many teachers simply used computers as an accessory rather than a tool to strengthen their lessons. Rather than using the computer to access databases during class, they were used for slideshows and the occasional YouTube video. This kind of treatment tells students that we can still get by without computers.

It is now impossible to ignore computers as they are present everywhere and are used for everything, including: credit cards, vending machines, cars and even voting. The Amish can only hold out for so much longer in the modern world.