Computer Games in Education

Read and discuss the following text.

The Pros and Cons of Using the Internet

But, finally, firstly, for example, however, in conclusion, also, what is more, on the other hand.

Explain the words and word combinations in bold in the text.

6) Fill in the correct preposition or particle, then make sentences:

1) to be excluded … school; 2) … a range/variety of reasons; 3) to live … state benefits; 4) to make fun … smb; 5) to leave smb …; 6) to do smth … one’s own pace; 7) without fear … failure; 8) to choose … different subjects; 9) belief … oneself; 10) to be … full-time education; 11) route … learning; 12) a means … doing smth; 13) to be grouped … fours; 14) an approach … smth; 15) to drift … criminal circles; 16) to end … tears/failure; 17) to provide smb … smth.

7) Answer the questions:

1. Why are some pupils unsuccessful at school?

2. How can technology help?

3. What are possible disadvantages of this approach?

1) Read the article and fill in the gaps with words ands phrases from the list:

Advertisements for the Internet promise you a world of information, entertainment, on-line shopping and e-mail services. (1)………………..the real world of the Internet may not be as perfect as the advertisements suggest. Using the Internet offers many advantages. (2)………………....., all of the latest information is available to you, in your home, at any hour of the day or night. It is much faster and easier to surf the net in search of information from all over the world than to travel to libraries in dozens of countries. (3)……………………………., on-line shopping makes it possible to search through catalogues to find exactly what you want at the best price, saving both time and money. By joining a newsgroup or chat group, you can share your hobbies and special interests, and perhaps make friends all over the world. (4)…………………………, e-mail is popular because it is faster than sending a letter and cheaper than a telephone conversation. (5)…………………………the Internet has several disadvantages. (6)………………………………., with so much information available, finding what you want can take you hours. Multimedia web pages with photographs, music and video are attractive, (7)…………………………….they make downloading slow and boring. (8)………………………………….., there is too much advertising instead of real information. As for Internet friendships, sitting at home in front of a computer making 'chat friends' is not the same as actually meeting people. (9)………………………………….., the Internet obviously has both good and bad points. Fortunately, the system is improving all the time, and any problems which still exist can be solved. Whether we like it or not, the Internet is here to stay, so we have to make the best possible use of it.

2) Work in groups: think of all the pros and cons of using the Internet.

Computer games have come a long way since Pong, a high tech version of table tennis, became the first to hit the screen. The vast majority of children now regularly play games ranging from 3D Mario to Mortal Combat. One study has suggested that one teenager in fifteen devotes thirty hours a week to them, though the majority are moderate consumers. What does it do to young minds?

For years concern has been expressed by parents and teachers about the effect of computer games on the moral and mental make-up of the next generation. Some have warned that a relentless diet of whiz-bang shoot-'em-ups' fosters antisocial behaviour, even playground violence. Others believe that the age of the zombie is upon us.

But expert opinion is shifting radically. Psychologists in America and Britain now suggest that while computer games hold some dangers for children, they also provide opportunities their parents never enjoyed to amplify powers of concentration and memory. Researchers have also highlighted the positive response of children to the way computer games reward success, thereby spurring them on to look for greater challenges — a boon if the same attitude is applied to school work. A leading academic at the University of Washington has even claimed that children think differently when they play computer games, learning to deal with problems in parallel rather than in sequence. In effect, children are being trained to tackle problems in a fashion which is not only more rapid but also more effective. In the long-term, the facility that game players develop with computer graphics could help many a future career. It could, for example, be of particular benefit to children who go on to become engineers or scientists.

Games are also now being developed for preschool children to encourage reading and writing skills. At Lanterns, a private nursery in east London, computer games make up part of the syllabus. Each week its sixteen pupils – the youngest aged two — are treated to a whirlwind tour of cyberspace. Every day the pupils attend a special class, such as dance or drama, and on Tuesdays they have a computer workshop where they spend an hour playing games. All the children love it. There is not a technophobe among them.

2) Find the English equivalents for the following in the text:

посвящать время чему-л., склад ума, выражать озабоченность, положительная реакция, побуждать кого-л. к чему-л., благо, одновременно, последовательно, быть особенно полезным кому-л., браться за решение задачи/проблемы, дошкольники, навыки, киберпространство.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29