To make matters worse, most of the computers installed in schools before 1994 need to be replaced. It's very hard for boards of education to understand. Children can get some benefit from almost any computer that can run a word-processing program or drill them on spelling or multiplication tables. In a second-grade classroom at Trotter School in Boston, Alma Wright has scrounged 15 computers of various types for her class. She frantically counts on her fingers to 15, types in the answer and is rewarded by seeing a stick figure slam-dunk a basketball.
Some educators find the confusion too great to handle.
Computers don't diminish traditional skills. Some teachers say that kids with spell-checkers actually become better spellers than kids with dictionaries, apparently because they always get instant correction and reinforcement when they misspell a word. Computer math programs also can reduce the drudgery of practicing multiplication tables for both teachers and students. If they make a mistake, the program asks them to try again. Educators report that in many classrooms, computers actually foster teamwork, as small groups of students jointly discuss what's on the screen.