The Fun They Had - Isaac Asimov

The Fun They Had 

About the author : 

            Isaac Asimov is the author of this lesson. He was born in Russia on January 2, 1920. He was an associate professor of biochemistry at Boston University School of Medicine. He was also known for writing books about science fiction, mathematics, religions and literature.

                                                                                                                                                                                       The theme of this lesson :                                 

            Nowadays students don't like to go to school. Better they want to sit home and study their portions. Basically, they don't like teachers but have a love for e-learning. But in this lesson, the author speaks about the difficulties of the students who have a machine as a teacher in their life.                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Characters : 

            Margie         - 11 years old 

            Mrs Jones   - Margie's Mother 

            Tommy        - 13 years old 

            Margie's grandfather 

Short summary : 

           

This story started with two little children, Margie and Tommy. Margie wrote a diary on 17 May 2157. She started "Today Tommy found a real book!". Tommy found an old book which was yellow and crinkly. Tommy told Margie that on those days stories were printed on the papers. In Tommy's point of view, he thought that the book was waste of time because it contains a few stories. But on their screen, they have had millions of stories on it. While he was speaking, he turned the real book. And that book was about "SCHOOL". Basically, Margie hated schools because her teacher was a robotic machine. Due to her low marks in geography, her mother sends her to the country inspector, he was like a  little man with a red face, a box of tools and wires. Margie hated the robotic teacher because it gave test after test to her. If she finished her homework she should insert her homework and test papers. The inspector gave a suggestion to her mother, Mrs Jones, that she was not worse in Geography it may be the machine's fault for her low marks. According to their age, the machine's level should be changed. He said, "the overall pattern of her progress is quite good".  She was so sad because she thought that if it was a machine fault then it (robotic teacher) was taken away. But it did not happen to her. He corrected the robotic teacher. Day after the day, the machine teacher taught her and didn't understand her feelings. So she hated the schools. 

            Margie asked Tommy that why people wrote about schools because it was quite boring. When Tommy opened the book he was shocked to see that they had a human teacher. And the teacher was a male. Margie got stunned, she had more queries about the school, how a strange man stayed in her home as a teacher. Then Tommy said that the human teacher did not stay in the student's home. But they had a special building where all the students should go and learn their lessons, not like present a robotic teacher stayed in their home. Students of the same age were sitting together and learn their common lessons. Both of them had the interest to know more about the schools. But Mrs Jones called them for their schoolroom which was next to their bedroom. So they decided to read the book after finishing school. 

            Margie went to the schoolroom. Already the machine teacher was waiting for her. Except for Saturday and Sunday, Margie should go to the schoolroom. She sat on the chair and the screen started to teach about arithmetic lessons and ask her to insert her homework. Even though she was physically present but mentally absent. she was thinking about her grandfather's grandfather old school, where all neighbourhood kids came, laughing and learning together in the classroom. Students of the same age could help one another in their lessons. At the end of the day, all together went to their home. Like she was thinking how the kids were loved in the old days and THE FUN THEY HAD. 

Difference between Margie's grandfather's grandfather school and Margie's school

SCHOOLS IN MARGIE’S GRANDFATHER’S GRANDFATHER	SCHOOLS IN 2157
Teachers - Humans	Teachers - Robotic Machine
Schools - Common buildings for all students	School - inside the home (Next to bedroom)
Lessons printed in papers	Lessons are in computer
Students sit together in their classrooms	Everyone sits in their home and study privately

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Reference :

Beehive, Textbook in English for Class IX, Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi-110016.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-Asimov

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/magazine/if-my-classmates-are-going-to-cheat-on-an-online-exam-why-cant-i.html

https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/the-robot-consultant-with-digital-tablet-in-prague-airport-the-robot-is-making-multi-gm1135775544-302272677?utm_campaign=adp_photos_sponsored&utm_content=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pexels.com%2Fphoto%2Fhigh-angle-photo-of-robot-2599244%2F&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=pexels&utm_term=robot

https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-using-silver-macbook-indoors-3401403/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/teacher-asking-a-question-to-the-class-5212345/