Publisher's Synopsis
Will any good come from introducing computers into our classroom? Will the use of information technology change classroom practice and provide qualitative benefits for the development of children′s minds?
This book aims to demonstrate the usefulness of classroom computers and to suggest how they can be used as powerful tools in fostering children′s thinking and learning. What are the goals that should be set for computer use? Should we think of classroom computers as we think of pencils, books and TV programmes, or as a means of developing cognitive skills? How can girls in particular be encouraged to participate fully in computer–based activities? How can software be evaluated, and how should a teacher assess the effectiveness of computer based learning?
In answering these and other questions, Jean and Geoffrey Underwood bring to bear insights drawn both from cognitive psychology and teacher education. Computers, they conclude, can provide real intellectual gains when properly used as open–ended tools.
