Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children's Minds -- And What We Can Do about It

As a parent and public librarian interested in child development I often recommend this book to the parents of young children. The frequent comments from parents, teachers, professors, children and industry experts that appear throughout each chapter add to the evidence and personal examples of the dangers of over-exposure to computers for pre-schoolers and young children.

This is an excellent book, if for no other reason than that Healy is willing to put forward arguments (albeit imperfect ones) on the other side of the computers-in-education debate. The whole discussion has been decidedly one-sided, with, as Healy notes, most of the published material issued by people with a financial interest in promoting technology, or with some vague notions about its benefits.As a person who grew up in the technology age, who has over 10 yrs of experience in industry, who has two young children in public schools, and who happens to be working on a Ph.D in issues of technology and society, I am direcly involved with the issues she raises. Healy's research and argumentation leave something to be desired, but her basic conclusions are correct: there is little or no justification for the use of computers or other high technology devices in schools, expecially elementary and middle schools. The other reviewers (below) who are critical of Healy are not addressing the main points: (1) there is little evidence that computer-aided instruction improves academic performance; (2) there is sufficient evidence, although no proof, that computer usage can be both physically and mentally harmful, and this justifies great caution; (3) the idea that kids need computer experience 'to get ready for the real world', or 'to be competitive', is a complete myth. Everything a child needs to learn about computers can be accomplished in the last few years of high school. Children in K-5 especially have virtually zero need for computer technology, and no one I have come across has provided arguments to the contrary.Too many teachers and parents mindlessly follow along with the trend of computerizing our schools. In a debate dominated by one side, all opposing views are welcome. Healy provides an accessible account of the anti-technology case, and this alone makes her book well worth reading.

FAILURE TO CONNECT explores learning with computers within the foundations of learning. Most innovators including computer innovators have forgotten the role of linear subject matter texts, expository writing, sequential order, structure, order, organization, systematic instruction, group recitations, time for reflection and deep processing, discipline, and hard work have played in their own education. These innovators think of grade school from their graduate school days -- even in those graduate days, they were not as UNORGANIZED, FRAGMENTED DISCONTINUOUS, and FREE WHEELING as the gimmicks and gadgets they want for learners today. Janet Healy recognizes this and warns parents, schoolpeople, and the general public that BRAINBUILDING needs an implement of learning that enables learners to embrace and wrestle down the meaning of the words-in-a -row that they are supposed to understand. This will not happen by clicking and clacking those keys as there is noit enough deep processing of relevant and orderly material found in that flickering text . Also, learners must receive a basic head of facts and ideas before going forth into the hobby of surfing the net. They will not learn from the dibs and dabs of fragmentary knowledge that they get from HUNTING AND PECKING around the net. Children must use their time more wisely than by CLICKING AT FLICKERING IMAGES AND TEXTS. FAILURE TO CONNECT has the wisdom of experience with this new toy that is trying to tell us that learning is fun and because this is the attitude of software manufacturers, ther is little that is useful in learning especially for the billions spent on this venture when there are learners in many schools without a book. You must read Janet Healy's book on computers to be convinced that computers stillhave along way to go befre we can call them a good learning implement-- especially when comopared with a book. All these reflections come from 30 years of teaching high school history -- I am sure glad that I did not learn history through clicking at flickers as I would not call that fun.

I highly recommend this title to any parent, teacher or librarian that is concerned with the education of young children. It is a thoughtful and well-written examination of the issues surrounding the use of computers in education. All too often books of this type are nothing but sales pitches and "techno-babbble" from someone in the computer industry. This book is a wonderful exception.

Failure to Connect is an excellent and extremely well written account of the potential dangers (and benefits) of using computers for teaching and for entertainment. Dr. Healy points out that there are a number of physical and developmental factors that we don't know enough about to entrust children to "cyber-development" -- and there's a lot of evidence showing the necessity for the presence of caring adults and physical learning environments in order for children to develop good thinking, motor, and social skills. The book's tone is never "anti-computer", but it is always "pro-human."