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Text{{/B}} There was a time when parents who wanted an educational present for their children would buy a typewriter, a globe or an encyclopedia set (一套百科全书). Now those {{U}}(26) {{/U}} seem hopelessly old-fashioned: this Christmas, there was a lot of {{U}}(27) {{/U}} computers under the tree.{{U}} (28) {{/U}} that computers are their key to success, parents are also frantically insisting that children {{U}}(29) {{/U}} taught to use them in school--as early as possible. The problem for schools is that when it {{U}}(30) {{/U}} computers, parents don't always know best. Many schools are {{U}}(31) {{/U}} parental impatience and are purchasing hardware {{U}}(32) {{/U}} sound educational planning, so they can say, "OK, we've moved into the computer age." Teachers {{U}}(33) {{/U}} themselves caught in the middle of the problem--between parent pressure and {{U}}(34) {{/U}} educational decisions. Educators do not even agree {{U}}(35) {{/U}} how computers should be used. A lot of money is going for computerized educational materials {{U}}(36) {{/U}} research has shown can be taught {{U}}(37) {{/U}} with pencil and paper. Even those who believe that all children should {{U}}(38) {{/U}} to computer warn of potential {{U}}(39) {{/U}} to the very young. The temptation remains strong largely because young children {{U}}(40) {{/U}} so well to computers. First graders have been {{U}}(41) {{/U}} willing to work for two hours on math skills. Some have an attention span of 20 minutes. {{U}}(42) {{/U}} school can afford to go into computing, and that creates {{U}}(43) {{/U}} another problem: a division between the haves and have-nots. Very few parents ask {{U}}(44) {{/U}} computer instruction in poor school districts, {{U}}(45) {{/U}} there may be barely enough money to pay the reading teacher. |