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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2006 > March > 28 > Entry
Does Google make you dumber?
In a recent New York Times Op-ed, a technology author suggests the ease of search engines has weakened the research skills of students. He cites an example from an Israeli study in which only 15 percent of students could use the Internet to find “a picture of the Mona Lisa; the complete text of either “Robinson Crusoe” or “David Copperfield”; and a recipe for apple pie accompanied by a photograph” even with no time limit.
The author believes kids have become so used to popping key words into today’s excellent search engines like Google that when their searches fail to produce good results our kids don’t know what to do next. They don’t have the research skills to seek alternative methods to find information.
I’m always wary of the argument that great technology, the kind that makes our lives easier, is necessarily detrimental to our skills. But as someone who searches for information for a living I do believe students will need new research skills as more new tools become available. Information overload is already a problem.
This might be an argument for more librarians, and better trained librarians, in our schools. How do you propose we fight Google stupidity?
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: My Favorite Posts, Teaching and Learning
Comments
By Julie
March 28, 2006 9:43 PM | Link to this
Just a quick comment on the graphing calculator…I am a math teacher and believe it is a great tool…it allows me to connect many math concepts..but it does NOT take the place of the mathematics. Almost every single one of my tests are calculator and non-calculator. It’s a b***h to grade…but well worth it. I tell my students daily there is a huge difference between “doing the math” and truly “knowing the math”. When they “know the math”, then I know I have done my job. The google issue is along the same lines…require research using technology but also have students think (oh my) what alternative methods of research would be better to use?By Ian
March 28, 2006 3:46 PM | Link to this
I completed the search using Google and found all three requests (mona lisa image, full text of robinson crusoe, and recipe, with photos, for apple pie) in under 5 minutes. Google, like a calculator, is a tool. You need to understand the tool and how to use it in order to make it useful. Suggesting that Google makes us dumber is akin to giving a student AutoCad and suggesting they are dumb when they can’t produce an engineering drawing of a car. If they don’t know the tool, they can’t use it.By Dave
March 28, 2006 2:53 PM | Link to this
The biggest problem is state legislators thinking they know more than teachers. Neither of my kids were taught handwriting in school in either of the two states where they grew up. The Advanced Placement test for Calculus REQUIRES you to use a graphing calculator. How did we learn calculus before calculators were invented? I guess the jet plane, transistors, and microwaves were just accidents…. Legislators are constantly regulating what will be taught, and how it must be taught. Teachers are hamstrung by the regulations, and now we have teacher who grew up not knowing basic math or English grammar. How can a teacher, no matter how gifted and dedicated, teach a subject he/she doesn’t understand? And How are the kids to overcome this?By Karen
March 28, 2006 1:50 PM | Link to this
I recently had a class (9th graders) in the library researching biographical information. The librarian pointed out the available print resources and computer resources. Twenty-six students went to the computers and one student to the books. The one student in the books gathered much more information in 20 minutes than any of the students on the computers. I was struck by how these students don’t think of turning to the books.By Otis
March 28, 2006 1:24 PM | Link to this
I dunno, perhaps professors/teachers can make it a requirement for some assignments that your works sited come from non-internet resources. One advantage my generation has (lol and I’m only 30) is that we can search the printed mediums and the internet. Heck, I still — vaguely — remember how to use the microfiche tool in libraries! How many Gen Yers can do that? LOL!! We grew up handwriting (last night dateline — i think — did a report on how handwriting skills are in the toilet thanks to technology) and using the Net and that puts us in the best of both worlds. So google isn’t the problem, perhaps the teachers need to wake up and teach the kids new ways (with the old tools).By Mary
March 28, 2006 12:31 PM | Link to this
This reminds me of the debate about how the use of the hand held calculator has adversely impacted math learning skills. Neither math nor hand held calculators are bad, but the learning environment needs to make tradeoffs and assessments of how both should be integrated. Internet searches and traditional methods of research should both be taught. I can understand a heavy reliance on internet searches as a tradeoff of time and volume of information. The danger is misinformation, but that occurred before the internet with traditional searches, as well.