scr goldfish future

[matt jones <jonah@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Panicky academic warns that the internet will stop people from actually
remembering facts:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/internetnews/story/0,7369,568168,00.html

>She said: "Traditionally, what has primarily been an issue for education
>has been putting knowledge into kid's heads. But now it will be about
>showing them how to navigate in that world.

And to be honest, is there really anything wrong with that? I mean, when
I'm coding, I regularly refer to m'Perl CD Bookshelf just to check on some
of the things I'm doing. Just 'cos I've delegated remembering that stuff
to an electronic medium doesn't make me any worse a programmer (IMHO).  
And of course, it all sticks after a while, and for a lot longer than
cramming or learning by rote.

Mind you, can you really take anyone seriously when they say things like:

>"You are going to have kids who are going to have minds which are
>fundamentally different to ours.That will cause all sorts of problems in
>how they relate to adults."

Eh? They know how to use google so they'll have behavioural
difficulties? FFS!

>She raised the spectre of human teachers being "sidelined by more
>efficient knowledge manipulators" in cyberspace

Ah, I see, it's luddite professional anxiety.

>"We will get beyond the point where humans are needed to control the
>technological structure so the question would arise of what place for
>emotions like love, compassion and other uniquely human things."

Or maybe it's too much ST:TOS.

It's not just me, is it? This respected academic *is* a hysterical
nutcase, isn't she?

-- 
mjx
dive into the shallow end