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   Jane Healy in her opening chapters of "Failure to Connect" leaves a taste in your mouth that she's rather opposed to computers or at least the use of computers by young children. The book was published in 1999, which for a general book is not that old, but for a book on computers it could be considered somewhat out of date. And somewhat out of date is true, but therefore, somewhat not out of date is also true. The research and the scenarios she quotes have been replaced by new research and different scenarios, but the issues she raises remain valid.

   About the time the Apple II first entered the classroom back when both Healy and I were excited about this tool to advance education and learning, the program LOGO also appeared. As a computer programmer I thought a triangularly shaped "turtle" advancing in straight line and then turning right or left so many degrees was the most useless program I'd ever seen. "Let's use the computer to compute the third side of a right triangle given the dimensions of the other two," I thought. Now, twenty-plus years later, as I reflect back on Seymour Papert's turtle and his writings in "Mindstorm's: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas" I believe that turtle was one of the best "thinking" tools that computers have devised. Times change and so do ideas.

   As you read the first three chapters of "Failure to Connect" in the next several days, and as you contemplate what you will write for your reaction, consider some of the following questions. Questions that only you can answer. Questions that may develop greater depth as you read, react and discuss this section of the book with others.

   Healy makes statements about research in education and the effect of computers. What does recent research say about the effects of computers on education now as opposed to seven years ago? How has education been helped by computers? How much smarter are children now than before computers existed?

   Thoreau is quoted in the book as saying that we are "tools of our tools." Would you agree or not? I suspect Thoreau didn't even have the computer "tool" in mind when he wrote that. Is the computer merely a tool, essentially a spectator in this activity, or is it a participant and an influence?

   Have you had an experiences that connected to what Healy saw in some of her experiences? Have you had experiences that contradicted her observations?

   Can we, and if we can, how can we equate being great on computers with being intelligent?

   Healy offers some guidelines for selecting software and computers for educational use. What questions, or issues, would you consider key in selecting computers and software?

• read the first three chapters of the textbook,
• go to WebCT Discussions and write a reaction to your reading (perhaps three or four solid paragraphs) considering some of the above thoughts and questions by composing a message,
• read the reactions of others (return to WebCT several times to read the recent reactions), and
• write replies to several reactions with supportive, alternative or expanding thoughts.