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Class wars; are computers the saviors of education? It depends on whom you ask

Article Abstract:

A debate over the benefits of computers in the class room is presented. To begin with Professor Seymour Papert and Professor Theodore Roszak discuss what is meant by the expression 'improve schools'. Papert proposes that the traditional school structure of children divided into grades and ages will no longer exist 20 years into the future, in its place will be a technological infrastructure. Roszak proposes that for instructors to teach children what they need to know, they must first know the children. He sees computers as a way of bypassing encumbrances and apathy by stimulating the imagination. Papert believes that schools should put their resources into smaller classes, greater teaching talent and more personal attention to children. He is concerned about the computerization of class rooms because the Web is not based on any sensible intellectual structure.

Education, Technology overview, Technology, Technology in education, Speeches, lectures and essays, Papert, Seymour

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Computers keep tabs on dirty money; Chinese puzzle uncovered by Australian team's software

Article Abstract:

Australian investigators, in summer 1993, used software originally developed by the US Air Force to track millions of dollars laundered through corporate bank accounts in Sydney and Melbourne. The trail to an individual in California named Sun Ming. Law enforcement agencies had never used computers to track down laundered money because the world banking system was considered too complex. However, the Australians used software called ScreenIt, which was developed out of technology used by the US Air Force to track missiles. The technology was designed to identify the most threatening missile in the tracking system's sights and then rank the others as lesser threats. ScreenIt can identify the most suspicious financial transactions in the landscape of all the funds moving in and out of Australia.

Investigations, Money laundering, Investigation, Technology Information, Law enforcement software

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