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New research by economists Ofer Malamud and Cristian Pop-Eleches provides an answer: For many kids, computers are indeed more of a distraction than a learning opportunity. The two researchers surveyed households that applied to Euro 200, a voucher distribution program in Romania designed to help poor households defray the cost of buying a computer for their children. It turns out that kids in households lucky enough to get computer vouchers spent a lot less time watching TV—but that's where the good news ends. "Vouchered" kids also spent less time doing homework, got lower grades, and reported lower educational aspirations than the "unvouchered" kids.
Why giving poor kids computers doesn't improve scholastic achievement
Every school district in Westchester County now pays an administrator to purchase and "integrate" technology into our kids' schools.
Then, once your district has loaded up on technology, you have to pay someone to "coordinate" the technology. So that's two administrative positions. One person to buy and integrate, one person to coordinate.
Next year the computer science teacher at the high school will no longer teach. He will coordinate.
I wonder how much we're spending on repair and maintenance. Last year I read a Financial Times estimate saying that the price of purchase is 10% of the total cost of IT.
When Ed and I made our whirlwind tour of elite private schools last winter, we found very little technology, although we did see 3 schools where all the kids had laptops and all assignments and course materials were posted online.
The Dalton School, one of the most elite private schools in the country, doesn't have SMART Boards. Their money has gone into photography studios, darkrooms, carpentry shops, dance studios -- amazing.
See also: The Computer Delusion and High-Tech Heretic.
