tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3110873829655511995.post4186830306505379594..comments2023-06-10T00:01:59.851+02:00Comments on Thoughts from a Mountain: The Horror! The Horror!He Who Talks Bollockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15279294907163329157noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3110873829655511995.post-2027207793194444822013-06-09T13:45:08.732+02:002013-06-09T13:45:08.732+02:00As a teacher of computing, I used to criticize stu...As a teacher of computing, I used to criticize students who would hand in their coursework late because they had left it to the last minute only to find that the mainframe was down or that the long queue for the printer prevented them processing their work in time.<br /><br />Or, at least, I <i>used to</i> criticize them in these terms until I was given the task of co-ordinating the preparation of our department's exam papers. I then discovered that the teachers behaved in exactly the same way, handing in work late, or unfinished, with the same excuses that I had heard from students.<br /><br />What the responsible teacher is tempted to regard as the foibles of <i>students</i> are, I believe, the foibles of <i>humanity</i> in general. Students go to school and university to learn to acquire life skills and one of the hardest skills to acquire is self-reliance.<br /><br />Is our society becoming infantilized? It's an interesting question and I think it needs more observation and analysis in order to proceed to a solidly based answer. However, it certainly is the case that we are being bombarded with "easy to use" devices and applications and that, having come to rely on them, we feel lost when they are not available. For example, the other day when I was out, I realized I had left my mobile at home and experienced a sensation that, if it was not panic, was something very similar!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com