DOCUMENT RESUME ED 445 803 PS 028 894 AUTHOR Cordes, Colleen, Ed.;' Miller, Edward, Ed. TITLE Fool's Gold: A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood. INSTITUTION Alliance for Childhood, College Park, MD. PUB DATE 2000-00-00 NOTE 105p. AVAILABLE FROM Alliance for Childhood, P.O. Box 444, College Park, MD 20741; Tel: 301-513-1777; Fax: 301-513-1777; e-mail: [email protected]; Web Site: http://www.allianceforchildhood.net ($8.50). PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070)-- Opinion Papers (120) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS At Risk Persons; Brain; Child Health; *Childhood Needs; *Children; Cognitive Development; *Computer Uses in Education; *Computers; Creativity; Early Childhood Education; *Early Experience; *Educational Technology; Elementary Education; Emotional Development; Moral Development; Play; Social Development IDENTIFIERS Brain Development ABSTRACT Noting that computers are reshaping children's lives in profound and unexpected ways, this report examines potential harms and promised benefits of these changes, focusing on early childhood and elementary education. Chapter 1 argues that popular attempts to hurry children intellectually are at odds with the natural pace of human development. Chapter 2 presents information on the risks of using computers to children's physical health (including musculoskeletal injuries, vision problems, and obesity), emotional and social development (isolation, shifts toward computer-centered education, detachment from community, and the commercialization of childhood), creativity and intellectual development (impaired language and literacy, poor concentration, inability to tolerate frustration, plagiarism, and distraction from meaning), and moral development. Chapter 3 urges families and schools to recommit themselves to providing young children with the essentials of a healthy childhood, including strong bonds with caring adults, hands-on experiences with the physical world, time for unstructured play, exposure to the arts, and literacy activities. Chapter 4 discusses ways parents and teachers can help children achieve a technology literacy that also involves the capacity to think critically and use technology to serve personal, social, and ecological goals. Chapter 5 focuses on the costs of technology and argues that the national infatuation with computers in early childhood and elementary education is diverting scarce resources from children's real unmet needs. Chapter 6 concludes with recommendations, including a refocus on the essentials of a healthy childhood and an immediate moratorium on further introduction of computers in early childhood and elementary education. Each chapter contains reference notes. (KB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) )(This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily iepresent official OERI position or policy A PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY -asAx_vA_AynovA_ TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 A 11) BEST COPY AVAILABLE 1 The Alliance for Childhood is a partnership of individualsand organizations committed to fostering and respectingeach child's inherent right to a healthy and developmentally appropriatechildhood. Alliance for Childhood P.O. Box 444 College Park, MD 20741 Tel: 301-513-1777 Fax: 301-513-1777 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.allianceforchildhood.net COPYRIGHT©2000, ALLIANCE FOR CHILDHOOD All Rights Reserved. FOOL'S GOLD: A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood Edited by Colleen Cordes and Edward Miller Alliance for Childhood Acknowledgments .11 THE ALLIANCE FOR CHILDHOOD GRATEFULLY Kate Moody, executive director of the Open acknowledges the following individuals for Gates Dyslexia Program at the University of their assistance in reviewing, editing, or Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; Douglas writing individual sections or chapters of this Noble, author of The Classroom Arsenal: report: Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, author of Visual Military Research, Information Technology, and Ergonomics in the Workplace; Alison Public Education; Mimi Noorani of the Armstrong, co-author of The Child and the Alliance for Childhood; David Orr, chair of Machine: How Computers Put Our Children's the Department of Environmental Studies at Education at Risk; C.A. Bowers, professor Oberlin College; Stephen Talbott, editor of emeritus of education at Portland State NetFuture, an online newsletter on technology University; Dr. Edward Godnig, author of and human responsibility; Richard Sclove, Computers and Visual Stress: Staying Healthy; founder of the Loka Institute; and Langdon Story Landis, senior investigator in the Neural Winner, professor of political science in the Development Section of the U.S. National Department of Science and Technology Institute of Neurological Disorders and Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Stroke; Jeffrey Kane, dean of education at the The Alliance also thanks Matt Wasniewski, C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University; Kim Kash, and Patti Regan for proofreading Lowell Monke, assistant professor of education the report. at Wittenberg University; Table of Contents introduction 1 executive summary 3 chapter one Healthy Children: Lessons from Research on Child Development 5 The Beginnings of Life 5 Emotions and the Intellect 6 The Essential Human Touch 7 The Dangers of Premature "Brain" Work 8 Learning About the Real World 9 chapter two Developmental Risks: The Hazards of Computers in Childhood19 Hazards to Children's Physical Health 20 Musculoskeletal injuriesVision problems Lack of exercise and obesityToxic emissions and electromagnetic radiation Risks to Emotional and Social Development 28 Isolated livesNew sage on the stageLess self-motivation Detachment from communityThe commercialization of childhood Risks to Creativity and Intellectual Development 33 Stunted imaginationLoss of wonderImpaired language and literacy Poor concentrationLittle patience for hard workPlagiarismDistraction from meaning Risks to Moral Development 39 A Massive National Experiment 40 chapter three Childhood Essentials: Fostering the Full Range of Human Capacities 45 Close, Loving Relationships with Responsible Adults 47 Outdoor Activity, Gardening, and Other Direct Encounters with Nature 48 Time for Unstructured Play, Especially Make-Believe Play 51 Music, Drama, Puppetry, Dance, Painting, and the Other Arts 53 Hands-on Lessons, Handcrafts, and Other Physically Engaging Activities 56 Conversation, Poetry, Storytelling, and Books Read Aloud with Beloved Adults 59 chapter four Technology Literacy: Educating Children to Create Their Own Future 67 Develop the Young Child's Own Inner Powers 68 Teach Ethics and Responsibility 70 Teach the Fundamentals of How Computers Work 71 Teach the History of Technology as a Social Force 72 The Goal of Technology Literacy 73 chapter five Real Costs: Computers Distract Us From Children's Needs 77 The Real Costs of Educational Technology 77 Flawed Assumptions 79 The Politics of Technomania 80. The Commercial Blitz: A Mega-Scam 81 The Dog That Didn't Bark 84 Children's Real Unmet Needs 85 Eliminating lead poisoning Other Pressing Needs of Our Most At-Risk Children 87 Critical needs of our public schools A New Conversation 88 chapter six Conclusion and Recommendations 95 Introduction THIS REPORT GREW OUT OF A FEBRUARY children's physical and emotional health 1999 gathering in Spring Valley, New York were not being accurately reported. They the founding of the U.S. branch of the Alliance decided to research and document the facts and for Childhood. The Alliance is an international to publish the results. This report is the fruit of effort of educators, physicians, and others who that effort. are deeply concerned about the plight of During the past year a number of individuals children today, and who believe that only by have worked hard to prepare this report, in working together in a broad-based partnership particular Colleen Cordes, former reporter on of individuals and organizations can they make science and technology policy for the Chronicle a significant difference in the lives of children. of Higher Education, and Edward Miller, former editor of the Harvard Education Letter. We are These are our fundamental beliefs and extremely grateful to them and those who concerns: contributed to the report for the excellent work Childhood is a critical phase of life and they have done. must be protected to be fully experienced. In this report we focus on children in early It should not be hurried. childhood and elementary education, for the data seem clear that computers offer few Each child deserves deep respect as an advantages in these years. There is still much individual. Each needs help in developing his or her own unique capacities and in work to be done on the question of how to finding ways to weave them into a healthy introduce computers safely and effectively for social fabric. older students. We welcome an opportunity to work with other concerned groups and Children today are under tremendous individuals on these questions. stress and suffer increasingly from illnesses This report will be distributed widely in the such as allergies and asthma, hyperactive disorders,