Computers and Kids: My Kid Doesn't Need A Computer...

Allison Druin

"My kid doesn't need a computer. She's smart, likes to read, and does well in school. I'm not sure why so many parents are worried about getting computers for their kids." (A parent of an 8-year-old child enrolled in a public elementary school in New Mexico, 1997)

I have heard similar words from many parents of bright, happy children, ages 6-12. Generally, my response to those parents has been to explain, that I am really happy to hear that, and I truly wish that was the case with all kids. Unfortunately, not all school children are doing so well.

These thoughts always reminds me of a poem that screen writer and Professor Digby Wolfe of the University of New Mexico once wrote:

Kids Who Are Different

Here's to the kids who are different
The kids who don't always get A's,
The kids who have ears twice the size of their peers,
And noses that go on for days...
Here's to the kids who are different
The kids they call crazy or dumb,
The kids who don't fit, with guts and the grit,
Who dance to a different drum...
Here's to the kids who are different
The kids with the mischievous streak,
For when they have grown, as history's shown,
It's their difference that makes them unique.
(Copyright 1982, by Digby Wolfe, printed with permission.)

This poem reminds me that kids are not all the same. There are many kids that don't have an easy time being social or learning in more traditional ways. Not all kids can or want to read books. Not all kids can even turn the pages due to physical disabilities. And not all kids have access to well-stocked libraries. There are some kids that need to hear and see a story rather than read the words. There are some kids that need constant repetition of ideas, in ways they control as opposed to when an adult says it's time. There are some kids that need to make things before they can say they understand something. And then there are some kids that have a hard time communicating with other kids or teachers or parents.

These are the kids that see the world differently. Some kids can overcome the challenges of being different on their own, but others could use help emotionally, socially, and intellectually. This help can take many forms, and one increasingly common option is with technology. Computers can empower people with differences.

Technology can offer diverse forms of support, from interactive books to on-line communication to expressive multimedia tools that enable kids to be authors, artists, scientists and more. There is a growing body of literature in the educational community that suggests new technologies can support powerful learning opportunities for many diverse kids with varied strengths, interests, and experiences (Druin & Solomon, 1996; Harel, 1991; Kay, 1996; Papert, 1985; Resnick, Bruckman, & Martin 1996; Shneiderman, 1992; Spoehr, 1994; Tinker, 1993; Turkle, 1995).

Thanks to this ever growing body of literature, the general public all too often comes to the conclusion that the mere existence of technology in our homes, schools, and public places should be enough to work educational miracles. Unfortunately, when the miracles don't arrive, parents, teachers, and researchers dismiss the use of new technologies and cry out for a "back to basics" approach to learning (Kay, 1996; Postman, 1995; Stoll, 1995). As one critic explained:

"Elementary and high schools are being sold down the networked river. To keep up with this educational fad, schoolboards spend way too much money on technological gimmicks that teachers don't want and students don't need" (Stoll, 1995).

Instead of expensive gimmicks for learning, I have come to see technology as an opportunity to rethink how we learn, communicate and play. One such example is an experimental system being developed by the Starbright Foundation in collaboration with industry. With this system, children who have been hospitalized for serious illnesses can visit children in other hospitals. Instead of wandering through sterile hospital environments, children explore with others simulated jungles, caves, and clouds. They use their own voices, but look like cartoon dragons, movie characters, or comic book heroes. Steven Spielberg, a creative force behind this project, has explained:

"For a sick kid, having fun means lots of different things... It means letting the imagination run wild when the body cannot. Or controlling the switches when the pain starts. Or just being taken seriously for a few moments as a kid." (Lewis, 1995, p. C3).

Another more common example is the use of computers for text-based communication. For instance, children have traditionally enjoyed discussions with their parents, teachers, and friends in their communities. They have telephoned to distant friends and family and have written to penpals in other countries. With on-line technologies, children have the opportunity for more immediate communication with many diverse individuals. Not only can they find connections with like-minded people, but they also can be anonymous if they choose to be. A 10-year-old boy who also happened to be a 4-year college graduate explained:

"One of the greatest things about the Internet is that no one has to know who you are... There have been times people my own age may not be interested in what I am interested in, and, at the same time, people who are older than I am, who might be interested, do not always want to spend time with someone so much younger than they are. But if you are on the Internet, things like age are unimportant -- or invisible, anyway -- if you want them to be" (Long, 1994, p. 43).

These may be unusual children, but we all are different to some degree. We all want to be respected, to be understood, and to be heard. We all sometimes feel frustrated that we can't talk to other people. And at times, we all feel isolated and wish there were easier ways of reaching out to others.

If new technologies can better support these difficult experiences, why do people still suggest technology is an unnecessary "frill". I believe there are many reasons. To begin with, new technologies have not been universally integrated successfully by teachers into their classroom. This may be due to the lack of proper training for teachers, minimal support by school administrators, and/or inadequate funding to buy what is needed (Norton & Sprague, 1996; Ringstaff, Yocam, & Apple Computer, 1994). In addition, in our homes parents talk of expensive computers that collect dust or are glorified games, keeping kids from exploring books, sports and more (Postman, 1995; Stoll, 1995). These difficult situations have led to concerned parents, frustrated teachers, bored children, and a critical public eye on what is possible with technology. For every successful example of creative, empowering uses of technology, there are numerous war-stories of how technology has failed kids.

Today the debate rages on in our journals, in the mass media, among educators, researchers, parents and the general public. This one short SIGCHI Bulletin column cannot begin to touch on all the complex issues that should be discussed. Therefore, this is a topic I will continue to address in future columns. In the mean time, let me ask you to also continue discussions in this area: Talk to your kids; their teachers and see what they think. Join the CHI-Kids@acm.org listserve; hear what others have to say. Come to CHI 98, and participate in the Education Domain papers, panels, demos, and more.

References

Druin, A., & Solomon, C. (1996). Designing multimedia environments for children: Computers, creativity, and kids. NY: John Wiley and Sons.

Harel, I. (1991). Children designers: Interdisciplinary construction for learning and knowing mathematics in a computer-rich school. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Kay, A. (1996). Revealing the elephant: The use and misuse of computers in education. Educom Review, 31(4), 22-28.

Lewis, P. (1995, June 8). Ill children to get 3-D playground out in cyberspace. The New York Times, p. C3.

Long, M. (1994). We are the world. Netguide (pp. 43-47). NY: CMP Media.

Norton, P. & Sprague, D. (1996). Changing Teachers -- teachers changing schools: Assessing a graduate program in technology education. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 5(1/2), 93-105.

Papert, S. (1985). Computer criticism vs. Technocratic thinking. In the Proceedings of Logo'85: Theoretical papers (pp.53-61). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Postman, N. (1995). The end of education: Redefining the value of school. NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Resnick, M., Bruckman, A., & Martin, F. (1996). Pianos not stereos: Creating computational construction kits. Interactions, 3(5), 40-50.

Ringstaff, C., Yocam, K., & Apple Computer (1994). Integrating technology into classroom instruction: Creating an alternative context to teacher learning. In Proceedings of American Educational Research Association [AERA 1994], (pp. 203-211).

Shneiderman, B. (1992). Engagement and construction: Education strategies for the post-TV era. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Learning (pp. 39-45). Nova Scotia, Canada: Springer-Verlag.

Spoehr, K. T., (1994). Enhancing the acquisition of conceptual structures through hypermedia. In K. McGilly (Ed.), Classroom lessons: Integrating cognitive theory and classroom practice (pp. 75-101). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Stoll, C. (1995). Silicon snake oil: Second thoughts on the information highway. NY: Doubleday.

Tinker, R. F. (1993). Telecommuting as a progressive force in education. In Technical Education Research Center [TERC] Technical Report. Cambridge, MA: TERC Publications.

Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the screen. NY: Simon and Schuster.

Allison Druin
CHI-Bulletin-Kids@acm.org
http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/~allisond/

Allison Druin has recently joined the faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a member of the HCIL, the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and the College of Education. This year she is also the chair of the CHI 98 Education Domain Track.

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Vol.30 No.1, January 1998
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