Xref: utzoo comp.ai:1356 comp.edu:893 comp.cog-eng:476 Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!decvax!ucbvax!agate!ig!uwmcsd1!dogie!edwards From: edwards@dogie.edu ( Mark Edwards) Newsgroups: comp.ai,comp.edu,comp.cog-eng Subject: Re: Becoming CAI literate Message-ID: <26@dogie.edu> Date: 15 Feb 88 18:24:07 GMT References: <776@zippy.eecs.umich.edu> <3316@killer.UUCP> Reply-To: edwards@dogie.macc.wisc.edu ( Mark Edwards) Organization: UW-Madison Academic Computer Center Lines: 36 In article <3316@killer.UUCP> elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) writes: >>>In this regard, they surpass classroom teachers. >> Well, yes, but the things computers are best at teaching humans are, >> by and large, things that humans used to have to do only because they >> didn't have computers. Why train humans to emulate machines if >> you have adequate machines? >Come on, now, hasn't ANYBODY learned that there's more to intelligence than >the filling station motif of learning? Pavlov's dogs and Skinner's rats are >rats and dogs, fer cryin' out loud, not HUMANS! Hair-brained things such as >multiplication drills in an age of $5 calculators are just plain silly.... I >know that in grade school, I, at least, would have been FASCINATED to know WHY >the multiplication algorithm worked. I for one am certainly glad that I was drilled in multiplication tables and so on. I use them everytime I go to the SuperMarket. Of course if I was wealthy I would have some one else go for me. You see the prices on different items vary greatly. Sometimes its better to buy in bulk, sometimes its better to just buy more of the smaller packages. I guess I could always take a calculator with me, but it takes time to punch in the numbers, and I would forget it sometimes. Sometimes the computer breaks down, and the store clerks do the addition with pen and paper, or even a calculator. Sometimes the store clerks can't even add 1 + 1. With the advent of the UPIC codes, now the clerk justs shoots the gun at the thing I am buying. After these things are in use for a while, they will forget how to punch in the price the old fashion way. Now what if the gun breaks ? Life gets scarier and scarier every day. I have forgotten many things but I still can do my multiplication drills!!! mark -- edwards@vms.macc.wisc.edu UW-Madison, 1210 West Dayton St., Madison WI 53706