ED386 Salomon and Perkins on Does Technology Make You Smarter?

Consider Salomon and Perkin’s (2005) discussion leading up to and including the section on the Effects with Technology (from page 72 to where the section ends on the top of page 78).  It’s about 5 pages of the essay. The guiding question the authors pose is, Does Technology Make Us Smarter? About this question, they introduce numerous parameters that you should heed.

I invite you to read this short selection with intentionality and care; read for comprehension. As you read, use what ever cognitive tools you need/want to advance your comprehension. These might include a word processor or concept mapping tools or an online dictionary or the Internet to look things up or ….

You might look to Cool Tool for Schools or Awesome Web 2.0 Tools for concept mapping tools. Or stick with the tools that you are familiar with.  Perhaps you want to use Acrobat Reader which has many tools built into it to support reading. Maybe you would prefer to work with a printed version of the chapter, a highlighter, a pen, and a notebook? It’s all good!

Use your tools to study and make sense of the assigned reading and use the ideas about cognitive tools and distributed cognition from the reading to make sense of how you are using the tools.

Given the parameters set out by the article, do the tools that you are working with make you smarter? If so, how so.  If not, why not?

(Prior to class next Tuesday (T/R section) or by Wednesday (Wednesday section) of next week, post your notes and discussion to your ED386 weblog under the heading: Does Technology Make You Smarter, ~ 250 words + extra blog credit).