The Best of Both Worlds (Avtivity 3)

Should we assume that all young people love or hate a particular form of interaction? Vaidhyanathan discusses how young people are calling themselves “tech sauvy”, but do we really need to be? Most households today have a computer and people use them for specific tasks. You have gamers, techies, and bloggers. They use their computers for a particular reason, but they don’t need to understand about the main frame interface or what RSS means. I don’t believe that computer users fit into a one size fits all systems.
A diverse population can’t be squeezed into a one size fits all category. Vaidhyanathan uses statistics, other writers, and their opinions to illustrate how these technological advances are not a way for us to learn. I don’t agree with that. Traditional methods are not the only way to learn. Technology has helped us build a more advanced and convenient way of life. It’s opened up a whole new world of jobs and opportunities. For example, dating use to be a way of one on one getting to know someone. Now the popular way to meet someone is to go on E-harmony and Match.com., then ask each other a million questions before couples meet. We use computer chips in cars now to run hundreds of functions. Computers are now so advanced that you no longer need a key to start the car, sync which makes things hands free. These are all things that technology have provided us. Everything on automobiles is practically all digital, if technology wasn’t constantly improving we would not have advances in our new cars, homes, and even dating. Even the way we look at medicine has changed in a drastic way. The improvements in cancer and heart research are also due to how information can be shared among different doctors. Diseases are caught quicker, and therefore more people are living longer.
If one person or all people knew everything there was to know about technology and its advances then why would we need someone like Bill Gates? Why would he need us? Everyone learns in different ways. It seems to me that marketing niches find this as a weakness, and they feed on it. Companies like Leapfrog and V-Tech are making products that help our kids learn, but are they the best method? Are these kids considered tech sauvy? Will they grow up to be technologically advanced? Vaidhyanathan says that he usually deals with Americans from the ages 18 to 25. He describes that, “our students read when books work for them ( and when I tell them to). And they all ( I mean all) tell me that they prefer technology of the bound books to the PDF or Web pages.” What about all the students he hasn’t been in contact with? Such as those who are younger or older, and those with different backgrounds. This paragraph is quite good!
People learn in a variety of ways we learn. If that’s true then how can you make a statement that “all” students like books over PDF files. Aside from morals and ethics, companies make products that will make them money, but we have the choice and freedom to choose what fits for us. If we don’t want to fall into categories of followers, then we can reuse to purchase their products. I personally have friends who are on their computers constantly, and others who don’t care at all about computers. Are computers convenient for everyone? No, but if it works for you then use it.
Vaidhynanthan seems to be showing us that he’s all for traditional methods of learning. It’s a more personal and more of a one on one way of learning. On the other hand, technology has helped us expand our way of learning as well. He claims that we only use technology as an easy way out, but it’s not necessarily the better way of learning. How can one person choose just one way of learning for students? I chose a mix between both traditional and technological advanced ways of learning. As I have stated above, people learn differently, Vaidhynanthan talks about how his students prefer books instead of computers. It may be true for his sample group, but not for everyone. Computers make things convenient and easier to attain information. With the fast pace way we live, people don’t always have time to go to a library and do research. Computers have given us the instant information at our fingertips.
The best of both worlds is the key to complete learning. Technology and traditional learning are part of a whole complete education. Vaidhyanathan discusses in his paper about how people prefer traditional learning and bound books over PDF files and websites. I chose to show how both ways can make a productive learning environment.