Continued Opposition To Laptops in Schools

theskeptic writes "The WSJ has an article about opposition to programs that provide laptops to 6-8th grade kids. Detractors say that the kids are wasting too much time online browsing dangerous sites, instant messaging friends, and posting to Myspace. Parents are worried that serious learning is being neglected in the quest to 'dazzle up presentations with fancy fonts instead of digging through library books.' Some parents however are 'enthusiastic laptop proponents,' one saying the laptop has helped her twelve-year-old son 'master critical professional skills like how to compile a PowerPoint presentation.'" Gaaah.

We need to talk.

[hullabalucination]

'the laptop has helped her twelve-year-old son master critical professional skills like how to compile a PowerPoint presentation.'

I need to talk to that young man. I keep getting this error when trying to compile a PowerPoint presentation:

make: *** No rule to make target `mindblowingpresentation.powerpoint', needed by `pointyhairedboss.info'

* * * * *

All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific.
--Jane Wagner

Really...

[Apocalypse111]

'the laptop has helped her twelve-year-old son master critical professional skills like how to compile a PowerPoint presentation.'

So now he's prepared to show his friends a 15 minute slideshow about why girls have cooties?

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Really...

[debilo]

So now he's prepared to show his friends a 15 minute slideshow about why girls have cooties?

Fascinating idea, but please make it 30 minutes and forward it to me, thanks.

No child left behind

[Anonymous Coward]

"Thiss iz mi Powhour pont prezentation four Engish clas".

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[Ruie]

Hey....I'm a halfway competent network administrator...where do I send my resume? ^_^)

Are you close to Boston ? Know bash or Tcl ? Do you have your resume somewhere online ? Thx !

Re:PowerPoint is pointless

[debilo]

If you cannot read, write, or speak, what good will PowerPoint do for you?

Well, that's the whole point now, isn't it? Most PowerPoint presentations that I saw led me to believe PowerPoint was made for those who cannot read. Or write. Or speak.

Re:PowerPoint is pointless

[mspohr]

Most people who give power point presentations can't read, write, or speak... and that doesn't stop them.

Re:"Critical" professional skills?

[PFI_Optix]

And also how to NOT read directly from a PP presentation.

PowerPoint has done two things to meetings: lengthened them, and made them less informative. And made them take longer to set up for. Three things. Lengthen them, make them less informative and harder to set up. Oh, and greatly increase their lethal effect on brain cells. Four things...

Re:I concur

[Anonymous Coward]

I concur as well.

6th graders should be featured on dangerous websites, not surfing them. As a strong supporter of NAMBLA, I worry that some of these 6th graders will come across nude pictures of themselves or their friends and blow the whistle. The risk is simply too high to allow them unfettered web access.

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[geekoid]

after reading your advice, I concur. you are a halfway competent network administrator.

Re:i agree

[Anonymous Coward]

Newton's a PDA and Napolean's an ice cream, right?

(yes, I know it's Neapolitan (now), but I grew up calling it that in my early years cause I was familiar with Napolean and just ended up seeing that instead of 'Neapolitan'. This was at like 7 or 8...)

Oh my God!!

[Sprotch]

We sound just like our parents!!

But teacher!

[IflyRC]

The dog ate my hard drive!!

Re:"Critical" professional skills?

[justasecond]

Are you freakin' kidding? PowerPoint rocks! I mean, WTF would Lincoln's Gettysburg Address [norvig.com] have been like if he didn't have PowerPoint? Boring, that's what. Really, his "New Nations" [norvig.com] graph is just the best! And the "Review of Critical Objectives" [norvig.com] bullet-points? Sweeeeet!

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[spud603]

Computers are far more fragile than books, and more expensive to boot.
I don't know how much it costs to boot a schoolbook, by my laptop boots for free..
(couldn't help myself, sorry)

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[A beautiful mind]

I kNOW DCL cAN I aPPLY?

VMS iS tHE fUTURE!

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[operagost]

Looking at the moderation on your post, I guess one Slashdotter's decision between "-1, Supports Bush Administration Policy" and "+1, Provides Tech Solution to Social Problem" was resolved by choosing the former.

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[BorgHunter]

Lets cut this crap out that funding of the schools is the problem it isn't even the problem at all.

I hope you're not the one teaching kids English.

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[cdcarter]

I currently go to High School and we are underfunded, do you know why? My science textbooks are so out of date, they still list Pluto as a planet!

Re:It goes both ways

[Bastard of Subhumani]

There are plenty of ways to block ports, restrict access and diable services

By changing satans in the registry?

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[Drooling Iguana]

Nothing written on the Internet is true.

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[Marxist Hacker 42]

Get a *really* competent network administrator and some modern media-savvy teachers, and the textbook issue will take care of itself. Heck, you could probably even reduce the poundage in kids backpacks by replacing the laptops with modern 3G cell phones, reducing repetitive strain injuries to young, growing spinal columns the way the current textbook system works.

Re:Much ado about nothing?

[freakmn]

Man, I was hoping your imdb link went here [imdb.com]. The whole promoted through high school without learning to read or do math made me think of it.