Until fairly recently, classroom computers were considered a luxury. Today, educators argue that students who have no...

Shunhe on August 6, 2020

Hi @hfatima1,

Thanks for the question! So let’s take a look at what we’re told in the stimulus. Classroom computers used to be a luxury, but now educators are saying that if you don’t train students in computer skills, they won’t be able to compete in the global marketplace. But studies also show that the more time you spend teaching computer skills, the less time you spend developing basic math and reading skills. We’re then asked to find a proposition best illustrated by the statements above.

So now let’s take a look at (A) and (D). (A) tells us that “a knowledge of the latest technologies is no more valuable than a knowledge of the fundamental academic disciplines.” Does this argument ever make any evaluative claims, saying that one is more valuable than the other? No. We’re just told that if you spend more time on one, you spend less time on the other. But we don’t actually compare how valuable each of them are. So (A) mentions something not argued in the passage, and so is incorrect.

(D), on the other hand, talks about how “attempting to keep pace with recent educational developments can result in neglecting basic skills in favor of other skills.” Well, that’s true! Here, we’re just talking about neglecting basic skills, and that’s definitely supported by the argument. No kind of “this is more valuable than that” argument is made in (D), and that’s why it’s the correct answer choice over (A).

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any other questions that you might have.

on September 29, 2020

I am confused on why "recent educational developments" would equate to the right answer choice. It seems like computers have been used previously in classrooms, so I am confused on how the correct answer choice states them as "recent educational developments".