Computer "smarts" don't happen by osmosis
by
Annie Enchakattu
| Jul 19, 2010
Who knew that computers would actually widen the achievement gap in math and reading scores? A recent study of students in grades five through eight showed that those from disadvantaged families got lower scores once the Internet arrived at home.
Testing more than 150,000 students in North Carolina, Duke University researchers compared children's reading and math scores before and after they acquired a home computer and compared those scores to those of kids who never acquire a home computer.
This research seals the deal on something I've suspected for years: Simply owning a computer doesn't make you smart. Read more of this commentary by Renee Hobbs, a professor in Temple University's School of Communications and Theater and founder of the Media Education Lab at Philly.com.