The Fun They Had
by Isaac Asimov
·
The story ‘The Fun They Had’ is written
by Isaac Asimov, a noted science fiction writer.
·
·
The story is a science fiction with
background setting of 2157.
·
It is a comparative study of schools in
present era and the schools of future. It is written in form of a diary by a
young girl, Margie.
·
It is a beautiful and interesting
introspection of the present day education system and school behaviour.
·
The theme of the story is the future of
education.
In the chapter
the real schools are considered to be far better than
the schools of future because they offer great fun to the students, better, pleasant and conducive atmosphere for learning.
Summary / Synopsis
§ The
story takes us to year 2157 in future. Tommy, 13 years old, found a book from
attic and showed it to his sister, Margie who is 11 years old.
§ It
was a book printed on paper. The pages of the book had turned yellow and
wrinkled as it belonged to Margie’s grand father’s grandfather.
§ The book was peculiar in the sense that words
on it were not moving like they move on their mechanical teacher’s screen.
§ Tommy
called it a ‘waste’ because once the book is read, it is of no use. Their
television screen had a million e-books on it and one cannot throw them away.
§ They
both wanted to know what the book was about. When Tommy told that it was about
the school, Margie found it strange as she hated the school.
§ Now she hated it more than ever because her
mechanical teacher had been giving her tests after tests in geography and she
had been doing worse and worse.
§ Her
mother sent for the County Inspector who was a round little man. He took the
television teacher apart and set it right within an hour to Margie’s
disappointment.
§ He
told her mother that it was not Margie’s fault but the geography sector of the
mechanical teacher was geared a little too quick and he has slowed that to an
average ten-year level.
§ Margie
was curious to know about the school in the past. Tommy told, it was the old
kind of school where the students had a human teacher who taught them and gave
home work.
§ Margie
argued that a man cannot be smart enough. Tommy further told that the teachers
didn’t live in the house. They had a special building named school and the
students went there.
§ Now,
it is Margie’s school time. She went into the school room which is right next
to her bedroom. The mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. The teacher
is on same time every day except for Saturday and Sunday. Her mother thinks
that the young children learn better if they learn at regular hours.
§ First,
she put her homework in the slot with a sigh and mechanical teacher checked it
in no time.
§ She was still thinking about the old schools
they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from
the whole neighbourhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, studying
together and helping one another with learning and doing homework and going home together at the end of the day. Those schools were far
better than the schools of her time because they offered great fun to the
students.
Mechanical
Teacher
The Mechanical teacher is a machine programmed to
teach according to the grade and level of a particular child. It is a big,
black and ugly television screen (according to Margie). It has a slot to insert
homework and tests which is written in punch code and mechanical teacher calculates the marks and grades in few moments. The machine may be a computer or
television screen as well as may look like a robot according to one’s choice.
Tele
book
The Tele book or e-book is a digital book. It is
written in electronic form. It stores all the chapters or information required
for a specific subject or grade. It is displayed on the screen of mechanical
teacher and read by scrolling up, down or sideways.
Electronic book or tele book may contain many books
together according to the requirement.
The words of e - book keep moving on screen while
someone reads the book.
Theme
The theme of the story is signification of school
and teachers for educating a child discussing the future of education in the
wake of technology.
Message
The message of the story is that the real education
is about providing adequate and right environment for learning. He conveys that the learning process must be a fun and should take place in healthy and congenial environment
The writer
warns against the future education system which may become completely digital
or computerised with zero social interactions, and thus, may prove fatal to the
healthy education system.
Title
The title
‘Fun They Had’ is apt and significant as it also conveys the message that learning process must be a fun and
should take place in healthy and congenial environment. the students of present era in real schools where human teachers teach and offer healthy atmosphere for learning and inclusion of interesting activities, real life skills and arts provide fun to the students along with learning.
Important
Question answers
Q1. How does Tommy describe old kind of school? How
does he describe old kind of teachers?
Ans. Tommy describes old kind of school as a special
building named school where all the children go there and study together. The
students of same age used to sit together in a room and learn same subjects or
things.
In the school the children were taught by a real
teacher who was human. He used to teach children, ask questions and give them
home work. The teacher also went to school to teach.
Q2. Why did Margie hate school? Why did she think old
kind of school must be a fun?
Ans. Margie hated school as she hated to do home
work. She also found her mechanical teacher to be ugly. She hated it even more
when geography sector was geared up too quick and she was doing worse in tests
after tests which were given by her mechanical teacher.
Margie thought that old kind of school must be a fun
as all the children went there laughing and shouting together and studied
together. The students of same age used to sit together in a room and learn
same subjects whereas Margie had to sit alone in her room and study all by
herself. There was no one with her to help and discuss with. She felt it would
be fun to discuss and study with the children of her age.
Video on the fun thay had
https://youtu.be/G7A9Bg_7Xig
No comments:
Post a Comment