Are Computers Compromising Education?

Language Analysis Are Computers Compromising genteelness? In the letter Are Computers Compromising Education? , A. Jones, the mavin of Hightower College, explains his reasons for criminalize the use of computers in classrooms, informing parents of the many issues that it would have imposed on students.Jones addresses the issue in a very reasoned but relate tone, which gradually becomes more assertive as he attempts to completely exchange parents to ensure with his contention, that Australias computer-based education revolution represents a false bid to the Australian public, as it inflicts a shape of health hazards on students and is preventing them from larn the essential favorable and intellectual skills that they need to flourish in the adult world.With a formal and carefully structured, nonetheless at times quite emotive style of writing, Jones installively uses a change of persuasive language techniques to justify the rationality of his decision, and to make it cl ear to parents that the electronegatives of having laptops in classrooms far outweigh the potential benefits.Jones appeals to the readers common intellect through the use of seemingly logical systemal statements, which make it seem as though his storey of view is the only reasonable one, and that it should be open-and-shut that students should not be allowed laptops in class due to the obviously dropsical effect it has on not only their education, but their social lives as well.Also, in case his position as principal doesnt set up him enough credibility amongst the parents of his college, Jones appeals to the authority of Todd Oppenheimer, a leading social theoriser in the US, who states that a computer-centred classroom means atomic reactorplaying the importance of conversation, of careful listening, and of expressing oneself in person.This use of reliable evidence works with reason and logic to convince parents that Jones arguments are accurate and sensible, and that stude nts brains are becoming deadened as they are sadly universe lost in todays technological age, which is stifling vital qualities in them and fostering negative traits. The moving-picture show which was sent along with the letter to parents, shows a group of students being nourished by traditional texts and being aided with their work by a teacher.It highlights the importance of teacher to student instruction and the essential social skills that kids can acquire through constant human interaction and shoot for communication, as fight backd to computer-based learning and instant messaging. This image helps to support the principals arguments, because after parents recognise the necessity of teacher to student learning from the image, hearing that the quality of teachers declines with every dollar spent on the get and maintenance of a computer causes them to feel morally obliged to agree with Jones in the fear that they would otherwise be compromising their childrens education.The image also combines with Jones use of hyperbole and emotive language when he states that by short-changing our teachers, we rob our children of a future to decease the cumulative effect of twain evoking an emotional response from parents before their basic reason and logic comes into play, and lurid them into accepting his point of view that the real world is inhabited by people, not machines, and our classrooms should reflect this reality by ditching the idea of having laptops in classrooms, and supporting more interaction among students and teachers in order to prepare our kids for the future.In admittance to the array of emotional appeals and hyperbolic statements the writer applies throughout the letter, Jones appeals to the parents hip-pocket nerve by bringing to light the fact that the comprise of down time where the computer is being repaired far exceeds the initial purchase cost of the unit. Since money is one of the main driving forces in everyones lives, this use of persuasive language effectively influences parents to approve of the principals decision solely through their desire to be financially secure.Jones eliminates any reason for parents to oppose his views through appeals to their sense of fear and their morals and values, by referring to this issue as a worrying phenomenon and claiming that the constant use of computers has a prejudicial effect on childrens learning abilities and could have other damaging effects on the brain.The negative connotations in words like detrimental and worrying add to his alarming tone in order to promote fear and anxiety in parents by suggesting that if they push for laptops to be make available in classrooms, they would be doing a great deal of impose on _or_ oppress to their own children. This compels the parents of students at Hightower College to share in the principals point of view that the school should not be prepared to compromise the learning abilities of students in support of a fad.Throug hout his letter, Jones relies on his concerned, yet assertive tone and use of reason and logic, to really sway the parents of Hightower College to call up that his decision to ban the use of computers in classrooms is obviously the right thing to do. The inclusion of evidence from an authoritative position, even higher than his position of principal, adds limited legitimacy to his arguments by presenting parents with a credible point of view.Jones also invariably plays with the parents emotions and morals while appealing to their sense of fear, because as parents they would never want to compromise their childrens ability to learn or cause any damaging effects to the brains of their kids. Jones application of a variety of persuasive language techniques allows him to effectively convey his arguments, and the cumulative effect that they give helps to convince parents of his point of view, that we need to resist the temptation to dumb down the classroom, and reinstate a more respon sible and human environment for our children.