Text 20 why study when you can surf?

By John Clare

1. Look at the headline of the article .What do you think the text is about?

2. Now read the article. Were you right?

What impact has the Government's huge investment in school computers had on educational standards? Vегу little, according to а study commissioned By the Department for Education. As I reported it could find "no consistent relationship" between computer use and pupil achievement in any subject at any age.

The day after the report appeared, I had а phone call from Peter Whittaker, the head-teacher of Hall Green, а comprehensive in Birmingham. He said he was astonished by the finding, which was the opposite of his own experience. In the 13 years he had been head, the proportion of pupils passing five or more GCSEs at grades А to С had risen from 17 per cent to 71 per cent. He believed much of the improvement was due to the school's use of computers. Would I like to visit what he called а "bog-standard comprehensive"?

In some respects, Hall Green is an average school.

In others, it is most unusual. Its results, both in absolute and value-added terms, make it one of the most successful comprehensives in Birmingham; boys and girls do equally well; Mr. Whittaker is а dedicated and independent-minded head; and everything is ship-shape.

To test Mr. Whittaker's conviction that computers have helped raise standards, I asked to sit in on lessons in which the machines were being used. He directed me to five. All were held in one of the school's computer suites, where the machines lined three sides of the room, and the children sat with their backs to the teacher.

The first was an English class for low-ability 12-year-olds (Year 7). The topic was Shakespeare. John Kennedy, the head of English, had spent an hour selecting websites. They included one on the Globe theatre and another on Scottish witchcraft. The children's task was to look through them and transfer the bits they found interesting into their computer folders. Most spent the 35·minute lesson scrolling aimlessly through the sites, pausing occasionally at the pictures. Whenever Mr. Kennedy was not looking, one played а video game.

At the end, I asked him what the pupils had learnt about Shakespeare. "Good question," be said, as if the idea had not occurred to him. Then he said: "Shakespeare can be а chore for children like these – they're easily distracted."

Mr. Whittaker added: "It's а way of making Shakespeare more accessible."

Next was а double lesson in IСТ (information and communications technology) for Year 8. The pupils were designing web pages, which meant writing something - typically about cars, pop stars or sport - and illustrating it with pictures downloaded from the internet. Although it was their fifth double lesson on the subject – each lasting an hour and 10 minutes - few had written more than а poorly spelt paragraph or two, and some nothing at all. As one explained: "It took me so much time looking for the pictures." Mr. Whittaker said: "Computers motivate the children. Also, when they get а job, they'll have to be able to do these things."

Third was а science lesson for high ability pupils in Year 9. Using an Excel spreadsheet, they had to enter two columns of figures and then add, subtract, multiply and divide them. The science content of the lesson was nil. Mr. Whittaker said: "Using computers gives you more time to concentrate on the science."

In an art lesson for Year 10, the project was Pор Art. This involved scanning а painting in the style of Andy Warhol into а computer and then repeatedly distorting it. Other pupils were animating Plasticized models by taking scores of pictures with а webcam. "Art now is what you can do with computers," explained Lesley Hill, the head of art.

Finally, I watched an English lesson for another Year 10 class. It was about "deconstructing non-fiction texts" – а GCSE requirement. Gavin Saunders, the teacher, handed out а list of tourist information websites. The pupils were to look at the opening page of each and analyze its impact. Most spent the lesson either scrolling through the websites or experimenting with different type sizes and fonts. Some wrote nothing at all. Those who managed а couple of sentences simply typed out – slowly with two fingers - what Mr. Saunders had said in his introduction. Mr. Whittaker said: "Computers make lessons fun – it’s important that children enjoy learning."

In all five lessons, the subject had become subservient to the technology. Far from motivating the children. it distracted them. Small wonder then, that computers

- despite the $2 billion spent on them - have done so little to raise educational standards.

Screen test: do computers motivate pupils and make subjects such as English and science more fun, or' are they а distraction?

From "The Daily Telegraph"

3. Study the following words:

impact	вплив
commissioned	за дорученням
consistent	послідовний
due to	завдяки
bog-standart	пересічний
undistinguished	що нічим не відрізняється
ship-shape	у повному порядку
computer suite	комп'ютерний клас
witchcraft	чаклунство
folder	папка
to scroll	рухати інформацію на комп’ютерному екрані
aimlessly	безцільно
to occur	спадати на думку
chore	важке завдання
to distract	відвертати·(увагу)
to download	завантажувати (у пам'ять)
spreadsheet	великоформатна таблиця
to distort	перекручувати
font	Набір літер певного розміру, шрифт
subservient	підпорядкований
howler	розм. безглузда помилка
sloppy	неохайний

4. After reading the text, underline the most important sentences.

5. Work in pairs. Tell your partner why you have chosen those sentences. Give your reasons.

6. Discuss the information you have learned from the text above with your partner.