New technologies; old company

I remember browsing books, newspapers and magazines every single day, trying to find the answers to those questions the Science teacher had asked us to answer as homework. I also remember the moment my father bought a computer, in 1997. In those days, the word Internet was occasionally heard or read. A couple of years later, I remember that peculiar sound that the phone line made each time I tried to have access to the web after 8 p.m., when the service was cheaper that during the day. Nowadays, Internet us a buzzword and no one dares say he has no connection at home –it feels so awkward and prehistoric that it makes one feel embarrassed.

I guess all of you have heard or read about the new policy of giving netbooks to all secondary schools (we also talked about this in class a few weeks ago). I know that next year there´ll be elections in our country and, of course, this might have been a strategy to attract followers as well as to gain votes. However, I believe that it has been one of the best decisions the government has taken.

It was unbearable that schools didn´t have access to the Internet in such a globalised and modern era which, by the way, has been called “the era of communications and technologies”. It is paramount that both teachers and students learn how to take advantage of a computer and of the Internet, since these are two of the most important tools we have in the world these days.

Children and adolescents need to get to know other cultures and to learn about everything that happens around the world. Getting in touch with people from other countries, reading newspapers from various nations and even watching or listening to the news from all around the globe by means of a computer is one of the ways in which students can broaden their minds and be ready to face a multicultural world.

Now the challenge is for most teachers to learn how to handle a computer. We know that some people are reluctant to even switch the processor on. But we also know that students are more computer literate each day and hence, as teachers and future teachers we must satisfy their needs, or at least, we should make an effort to make our lessons appealing to them. Catching their attention with only the blackboard and chalk is almost unthinkable at present.

As for students, they also have a challenge. In the first place, they should learn to take care of those computers that they were given for free. If I´m not wrong, they can´t take them home yet, so they should value those netbooks even more, as they have to share them with their peers. Then, students should also learn to discern between reliable and unreliable information. Some information that they may come across while surfing the net may be misleading and consequently, they should learn not to believe in everything they read.

There is a further challenge for all of us as society. One which is even stronger and more significant. While live surrounded by computers, we should not forget about that handy, portable, cheap, scented and even dog-eared object: the book. Who wasn´t given a book as gift when child? Who never took delight at staring at the pictures which appeared in that story book that mum read each night? Who never cried at that moment when you were going pass a bookshop and your parents said “no, no money today” when you begged for that colourful cover which was on sale? If these examples have evoked your memory, plunge into a good book right now and then, and only then, read the on-line newspaper if you feel like doing that. You´ll tell me which you prefer.