• Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    Knowing how to use a physical dictionary or do basic math in your head is absolutely still a good idea, your phone battery can die, your network connection can fail, and doing challenging things with your brain is good for your long term brain health anyway especially while it’s still developing.

    • tamal3@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Maybe, but are there other things we can focus on? For example, as an ESL teacher, why do my newcomers only get a word to word paper dictionary on end of grade exams? I’m pretty sure the state of North Carolina just hates children? There’s literally no reason for this. Give them a digital dictionary.

      • Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        Paper is a renewable resource, rare metals used in computers aren’t, and the contents of the dictionary will be the same either way

        • tamal3@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Yes but the process of obtaining the information is significantly more difficult. We can, you know, reuse the same 20 translation devices for years, and all kids have a laptop… I feel like you’re focused on the wrong thing.

          • Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml
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            2 months ago

            In what universe is an electronic device being handled by children going to last 20 years? Not ours

          • RaoulDook@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            No, it’s only more difficult for those without the skills to use the Index or Table of Contents in a book. Which is not really much of a difficult skill to learn. You pretty much need to know about alphabetical order and how one is at the front and the other is at the end of the book.