Part III

In Part III, “Smart Paths,” Oppenheimer sets out to provide examples of successful schools that have not been caught up in the technology fad.

Urban Academy, a school in the Upper East Side of New York City, students are above average and are more likely to attend a four-year college. Oppenheimer describes the school as a family atmosphere, where teachers and students have a much closer relationship than at traditional schools. Also, despite its small size (11 teachers, 120 students), Urban Academy offers a wide range of courses, which are taught in a ‘habits of mind’ style, where students are often researching a real world problem. A key point of the chapter is that technology is not a focus or considered important, the focus is on teaching basic skills, which allows students to learn skills in word processing and spreadsheets which will prepare them for higher education.

The emphasis of Chapter Twelve is the principle of Keeping It Simple Student (KISS). Through a series of examples Oppenheimer shows that technology is not needed to engage students and make learning fun, rather simple physical devices and teaching strategies can keep students interested. The argument is best summed up by an Oppenheimer quote regarding the philosophy of three very different educators, “the priority is each student’s need for physical, sensual, and often idiosyncratic engagement with academic concepts,” (350). Oppenheimer describes what he witnessed in successful progressive schools in New York and what researchers have learned about Japan; engaging, creative styles of pedagogy, with little emphasis (or use) of computers, calculators, or other technologies and classes with active exploration, argument, analysis. I did find this interesting, as at my school we are trying to focus on keeping the students physically active during the day. I have seen improvements in attention, and effort, however I think Oppenheimer underestimates the potential positive impact of computers and technology in the classroom.

In Chapter Thirteen, Oppenheimer describes the Waldorf School approach, which emphasis multi-sensory approaches, inciting student imagination, and providing a sense of ethics. Oppenheimer first travels to a Waldorf School in California, full of juvenile delinquents, where he witnesses ‘troubled kids’ having unexpected success. In an even more telling example, Oppenheimer describes two schools that shared a building in a poor, minority area of Milwaukee. One school focused on technology, while the other used a Waldorf approach. Students at the technology school produced reports of little substance, had lower test scores (among the lowest in the city), and showed little pride in their work, while the Waldorf students excelled academically and showed off their knitting projects and other reports. Waldorf schools do have their critics. Due to a lack of emphasis on reading, some students cannot read until the third grade, and some worry that the non-competitive approach ill prepares students for the real world.

Reading The Flickering Mind has made me think about how computers can be useful in schools, but also that too much technology may distract students from working through problems, placing them at a disadvantage of how to handle difficult real-world challenges. I feel that not allowing students access to technology, something which is second nature to most of them,is cruel and in my mind will make them less prepared for the 'real world'. As a teacher it is my job to ensure the technology integration is connected to the content and enriching to the lesson. I will certainly not sit my students in front of the computer and let them surf the Internet. I felt Oppenheimer was negative and lacked a good amount of credible data to support his argument against technology in the classroom.