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Rating: 
Summary: We could all use a few more heretics
Review: Anyone who thinks should read this book. As a fellow computer jock/propellerhead who remember's the birth of the PC and arpanet, I found this book the chilling reality of Alvin Toffler's 1970's "Future Shock". In a light, at times whimsical style, Clifford Stoll get's to the root of the problem. It's not the tools. It's what we've been sold based on the promise of technology, and will fail to receive until we demand a refund. Stoll's work isn't merely about education, computers & the Internet. It is about the future. The non-fiction equal of Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", Stoll helps people examine the nature of heretics and wizards throughout time.
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Summary: We need more people like Cliff in the teaching ranks.
Review: As a public school teacher I can attest to the fact that Cliff really knows what he is talking about. I think that he'd make a fantastic High School teacher and he knows more about education than half of the ED school professors that I had in college.Cliff's basic thesis in this book is that we are spending way too much money on computers in schools in an effort to appear up to date. He brilliantly argues that learning is a difficult process requiring hard work from both the students and the teacher. Too often, he argues, we are seduced by the idea that computers will somehow make this process simple and painless. He presents his material with humor and persuasive arguements. I find that his points were well thought out and argued well. For example, he rails against the idea of teaching kids how to make multi-media presentations. He points out that these exercises take a tremendous amount of time to create, and the amount of material learned is neglible. I once sat through a workshop where a student produced power point presentation was displayed. This was supposed to be a stellar example integrating technology to history. What the kid did was make a power point movie to the tune of Billy Joel's "We didn't start the fire." It had all the images that Joel mentions in his song, but I thought. Did the kid really know who Chairman Mao was, who Ho Chi Mihn was, and all the other people and places mentioned? Or did he just go out to the web, download the images, and paste them into the song? Stoll's book argues against just this sort of junk, and is should be required reading for all school superintendents Sadly, this book will probobly go unnoticed in the educational policy marketplace. Peopl who will wonder why more and more of are children's test scores are declining and why kids are having to take remedial courses in college should buy Stoll's book. The answer is staring at them in the face.
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Summary: Computers Are Just An Educational Tool!
Review: Clifford Stoll is a PhD in astronomy with a varied background in education including teaching in high school. He is a computer user of many years citing his technical experience in the past. He is also an MSNBC commentator. "High-Tech Heretic" is not written as scholarly research. It is a personal essay on what is wrong with computer learning in our society today. Stoll does cite sources in his text, but uses very few footnotes and his sources are not completely identified in detail. His work is definately thought-provoking, as he questions nearly every aspect of computing, especially computer use in education. Clifford Stoll is careful to point out that he does not hate computers, however they are often misused in the classroom. He does not buy into all the hype surrounding the latest technologies and is particularly critical of the way schools spend millions of dollars on technology. I partially agree with Stoll on this point, however this does not mean that computers do not belong in our schools. I feel that they are very worthwhile in the educational setting, they just need to be used properly. They are a tool, and like all tools, may be used inappropriately. Schools should constantly examine their methods of incorporating technology into the curriculum in efficient and beneficial ways. A computer will never replace human interaction and hands-on teaching. Stoll's fears that computers will replace traditional books, libraries, librarians and teachers is unfounded. He does however provide a reality check for those who think computers and software are the answers to our societal and educational problems.
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Summary: Stoll Knows What He's Talking About
Review: Clifford Stoll's worries about the (mis)use of computers in education ring true. Like him I am no computer Luddite and, as a university teacher, make extensive use of computers. However, he is right, there is no substitute for a certain amount of hard slog when it comes to learning. A lot of multimedia software attempts to make learning fun and there is nothing wrong with that as long as it doesn't trivialise the learning process. There is much of value in this book but for me the most important part was Stoll's thoughts on the differences between hypertext and "real" text and just how detrimental an effect those differences can have on the reading habits and abilities of young people. I also enjoyed Stoll's exposé of the eagerness, at many levels of government throughout the United States, to install technology at any cost. This demonstrates a lack of understanding among officials who should know better. Often, it seems, the funding of technology in schools becomes a political gambit. Stoll points out that there is little need to emphasise the learning of technology within the curriculum, especially at the expense of other subjects, because young people pick it up so easily anyway. I think it wouldn't be too strong to say that he views a large part of the US policy on computers in schools as crazy. He puts a lot of strong arguments to support this view. This book is easy to read and it will certainly give you a lot to think about. It is worth reading (if you aren't too busy surfing the web).
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Summary: Let Stoll Be Anathema
Review: High-Tech Heretic by Clifford Stoll is a witty, skeptical insider's account of the (possible) negative effect of computers and the Internet on schools, education, libraries, and society at large. His main thesis and conclusion: "I believe that a good school needs no computers...a good teacher can handle her subject without any multimedia support. That the enjoyment of scholarship has nothing to do with making learning fun...That students...recognize computer assignments primarily as entertainment, rather than education" (p. xiv). He is concerned about the "empty promises of the cult of computing" (p. xi) and that "techies have a responsibility to challenge hyberbole, false promises, and gross exaggerations" (p. xii). Written in an informal "conversational" style, Stole attempts to rebut many exaggerated claims of high technology's ability to enhance learning. While the book contains some quotations from "experts" and a few anecdotal "horror stories" missing are the hard facts, documentation, research, or footnotes backing his conclusions. What he appears to have done is select some of the worst examples of computer and Internet "abuse" in schools while ignoring many more positive benefits of technology in society. He often resorts to the "either/or" fallacy to prove his points (EITHER computers OR teachers, EITHER the Internet OR books, etc). For example, "Encourage kids to surf the Web rather than read books..." (p. 164) -- why can't it be both? There are many such examples. The book is an entertaining read, but we get mainly the author's private opinions and speculations why we should be skeptical like him. Having said that, I agree with his points about the negative impact that computers and the Internet could have if they are seen as replacements for hard work in the learning process, or substitutes for real personal interaction among teachers, students, and people in general. This was the book I selected as a report and oral presentation assignment for a Computer Ethics class at the University of South Florida.
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Summary: Profoundly informed my view on the subject
Review: I've never been a big fan of installing technology in schools for the sake of installing them, but I couldn't articulate my argument against the kind of wholesale "spend money on computers and the Internet" campaigns now going on. My thought was that unless you provide training, resources, and real software, computers are no better than word processors or video games. There's no learning involved except if you're learning to do tech support. Stoll's anecdotes and statistics lend credence to the notion that a lot of good education (and teachers and programs) are cut to support an idea that's a sop to the real ideas of education. He carefully explores and refutes most of the claims of the pro-technology crowd, while giving good voice to the reasonable and correct uses of computers in the classroom. The point is not that kids shouldn't use computers, but that computers should always be tools to assist in learning. That learning can be hard, challenging and rewarding - and that most computer software is sold as simply "a fun way to learn," as if other ways are somehow bad. No matter what your take on the issue, read this book. It should form the authoritative basis for the ongoing discussion.
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Summary: Profoundly informed my view on the subject
Review: I've never been a big fan of installing technology in schools for the sake of installing them, but I couldn't articulate my argument against the kind of wholesale "spend money on computers and the Internet" campaigns now going on. My thought was that unless you provide training, resources, and real software, computers are no better than word processors or video games. There's no learning involved except if you're learning to do tech support. Stoll's anecdotes and statistics lend credence to the notion that a lot of good education (and teachers and programs) are cut to support an idea that's a sop to the real ideas of education. He carefully explores and refutes most of the claims of the pro-technology crowd, while giving good voice to the reasonable and correct uses of computers in the classroom. The point is not that kids shouldn't use computers, but that computers should always be tools to assist in learning. That learning can be hard, challenging and rewarding - and that most computer software is sold as simply "a fun way to learn," as if other ways are somehow bad. No matter what your take on the issue, read this book. It should form the authoritative basis for the ongoing discussion.
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Summary: high tech heretic review for class
Review: The more I read this book, the more that I began to understand what it was about and the more I began to agree with Stoll.
Stoll gives many good reasons to question the significance of computers in the classroom. Stoll challenges using computers in public schools because of the high cost, and the low benefits from it. Stoll also talks about technology in general.
Stoll talks about what is wrong with computer learning in our society, by questioning every aspect of computing, especially the computer use in public schools.
Stoll, however does not hate computers, he just hates how they are misused in schools. Cliffors Stoll is upset about how much money is being wasted on technology, that is used for the wrong reason.
I feel that this book is a really interesting book that teaches alot. I agree with the author of this book when he says that technology will never replace the hands-on of school learning.
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Summary: This debate should have started earlier....
Review: This book starts a discussion that really should have occurred well before computers came to be considered a required piece of educational equipment. In an enjoyable to read, humorous style, Stoll gives many good reasons to question the value of computers in the classroom. Earlier reviewers have critiqued Stoll for not having data to support his arguments. The real problem, however, is that the burden should really have been on those who have had us spend millions on the unproven idea that education would be better with computers in the schools. Where was the proof for that proposition?
Stoll argues (convincingly, I think, and certainly cogently) that computers in schools were a solution in search of a problem. Why is it that the promoters of putting computers in every classroom, and wiring every school for the internet are not asked to demonstrate the value of these things for learning? Instead, it seems to be taken as beyond question that having more technology means the school is better - this is certainly the case in the school district where I teach. What Stoll does most effectively is make the case for raising these questions. Do computers help make students read, write, or think any better? These questions can be addressed by looking at what computers actually do, how they work, etc. Reading this book led me to badger lots of other teachers to discuss the issues it raises, and especially the question of why we have never really had this discussion, but rather have worked with the assumption that computers must be good for teaching. Every teacher, principal, librarian, school board member, as well as others interested in education should read this book so we can start a real discussion of the issues it raises.
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Summary: Swing and a miss
Review: While computers and the Internet are very useful tools, they have been oversold outside of the technical and database vocations. Education is no exception. The dysfunctional result from public schools appears more a consequence of politicized bureaucracy and an either indifferent or confused citizenry than from lack of resources. (suggested reading: _In_Pursuit_ by Charles Murray or _Inside_American_Education by Thomas Sowell.) As tools, computers remain cranky if useful devices -- an observation made from running Fortran code in highschool and college since the mid-1970s on Univac, CDC, PDP, SGI, HP on a plethora of operating systems. The code gets fancier, and memory faster to access, but it's no panacea. The medium is too narrow for anything but task-specific operations, and very frustrating as a learning portal, irrespective of baud rate. Dr Stoll's conversational style perhaps fills the pages more than necessary, but his critics are unable to refute his arguments against the superficial and unverified content of the Internet debases research or the distracting nature of visual graphics advertised to facilitate learning or the wretched quality of current software development and computer ergonomics or the expensive maintenance of equipment that's obsolete when manufactured, never mind installed. The hype from electronics promoters neglects to mention the advantages of durable media -- primarily books (with text). This failing is evident even in scholarly studies, such as _Integrating_Information_Technology_in_Education_ that exhorts yet more electrons knocked from their p-orbital shells to placate the god "nolij" but no understanding or mastery that comes from self-discipline and investigative study. _High_Tech_Heretic_ serves as an appropriate counterweight to this latest and expensive fad.
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