Computers add to the excitement of learning

Re “Computers in class are lousy teachers,” Current, July 17:

As an elementary schoolteacher for 20 years, I mourned the loss of the card catalog drawers that enabled students to peruse the fine soldiers of files. Many students are surfing the Internet rather than the shelves.

But my research implement of choice is my classroom computer. History unfolds in real time on the Internet as my elderly encyclopedia set bravely holds up the bookcase.

The students and I learn together as stories are animated, authors are e-mailed, spelling puzzles are created, data scavenger hunts are solved and tessellations are manipulated.

The educational agenda is not just mastery of standards for the year, but the excitement of learning.

Computers are tools that have been added to my bag of tricks toward that end.

Karen Berg Marks

Los Angeles