Defining event of the last decade of the twentieth has been the introduction of the Personal Computer. These machines have invaded our homes, offices, and our schools. The end result has been that our lives, both private and professional have been irreversibly changed. Computers and related technologies have defined our relationships, especially how we learn. Since their inception in the early 1980’s schools and educators have embraced the computer as a new tool to educate our children. Initially teachers treated computers as novelties, however in the last six years, computers have become essential equipment in the Newfoundland school system. This paper will examine the development and implementation of computers and related technologies, in rural schools in Newfoundland. As well as, their positive and negative impacts on the education system.Development and Implementation of computers in rural Newfoundland schools.The use of computers in the school system is not a new phenomenon. “In the 1970’s its promoters claimed that it would transform and save education” However, a majority of educators viewed a computer in every classroom as something out of science fiction. In the 1970’s computers were huge machines, requiring a whole room to be set-aside for them. As well, they were not user friendly, and required an expert to code, enter, and decipher the data that these machines produced. It was not until the early 1980’s, with the development, as was called at the time, the microcomputer.The microcomputer of the 1980’s was not as powerful as the computer that is being used to type this paper. Indeed, the Internet, and e-mail were many years in the future. However, they did have an impact. These computers were small, user friendly, and relatively cheap. In the early 1980’s emphasis was place on computer literacy. In that teachers were expected to take classes to the computer,...
