Sir, – Dick Ahlstrom's article on "smart cities" (Mar 27th) rightly points out that it is giant technology companies who are mainly pushing this agenda; a case in point is Dublin City Council, which on the one hand wishes to install Wi-Fi in our public parks, while on the other it has removed all our badly needed public toilets. How smart is that? Of greater concern is that the computer giants are keen to push their products into schools – even primary schools.
Experienced teachers are despairing at the drop in our educational standards, a drop that is mainly due to pupils shortened attention spans, shortened by an over-reliance on technology.
Regrettably research skills have been dumbed down to “cut and paste” while, more worryingly, students have sub-contracted their learning, creativity and memory to their iPads and phones.
The majority of research studies have found that deep learning and creative thinking are achieved via a combination of good teachers, books and pupil interaction – not through computer screens. Unfortunately, unproven electronic gadgetry is being pushed (sometimes for free) on schools where they act only as a distraction and hindrance to learning in the classroom.
It is ironic that in Silicon Valley, home of this “technological wizardry’, the top primary schools have banned computers from the learning process. They know, as every experienced teacher knows, the best way young children learn is via a teacher, chalk, books and pupil interaction. Yours, etc.
JOHN DEVLIN
Erne Terrace,
Dublin 2