I am writing in response to your article Textbooks vs. technology in the Sept. 27 paper. As a student of Carson High School, I was offended by most of the comments quoted by Ms. Nanette Moffett.
Ms. Moffett claims that learning is not about the facilities. She says that, "Kids are flexible. They don't care about the cracked pavement. I don't think the heat bothers them."
I want to know what high school student she has talked to. I know from experience that it is harder to function, let alone to learn in a room that is 85 degrees. Let's try turning up the heat to that degree in any office and see how much work gets done.
As for the cracked pavement, Ms. Moffett wants to know how the school allowed the pavement to get into such poor condition. It's called time and weather.
Either way, it is a safety hazard and should be fixed just like anything else, including classroom door locks, which she opposes as well. Fixing these things will most definitely improve the quality of education.
What also really bothered me was Ms. Moffett's fear of technology. Why does she feel we need more and more textbooks, when we have plenty and not enough computers? She clearly does not understand that technology is used to make learning faster and easier; it isn't something to replace basic curriculum.
A smart board will not turn students into "desk potatoes." It makes lessons easier and more effective for teachers to teach and students to learn.
The bottom line is that our school facilities do have problems that additional funds are needed to improve. While it may not be textbooks, improvements in basic needs such as heating, cooling, and overcrowding are essential. I would hate to see the passing of the school bond held up by such uninformed, nonsensical views.
ALLISON KOP
Class of 2002
Carson City
