Intertwined+with+the+Internet

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=Intertwined with the Internet—Skills for Learning=

by Susan West The Internet has changed our lives in many ways, and as parents and educators it is imperative that we show children the correct way to use this powerful tool. Children need to be taught how to “read” the Internet. It is a wonderful way to improve critical thinking skills, as well as to develop researching techniques. They need to learn how to find the author/title page of a website, how to retrieve a site that is labeled “unavailable,” drill back in time on the Internet, as well as to identify fraudulent information and claims made on the Internet.

Students should improve their “netiquette,” by being taught the potential positive power, as well as the pitfalls, of creating a personal blog. For example, did you know that anything created on a blog or a personal website can be retrieved by potential employers or colleges long after it has been deleted? This simply can be done by the use of [[javascript:popWin1('[|http://www.archive.org]')|www.archive.org]]. Students should be advised that what seemed like a fun photo to post, or a written description of an event, may not be viewed in the same way by an employer or university.

There are some helpful sites that are available to assist teachers and parents in demonstrating the correct use of the Internet. A very valuable one is [[javascript:popWin1('[|http://www.novemberlearning.com]')|www.novemberlearning.com]]. The author of this site is Alan November, a guru in the field of technology education. The [[javascript:popWin1('[|http://www.easywhois.com]')|www.easywhois.com]] site enables a person to find the author and publisher of a site. Many sites are listed as unavailable. Through the use of [[javascript:popWin1('[|http://www.archive.org]')|www.archive.org]] one can drill back in time and find articles that appear to be irretrievable.

The Internet has been a technology that has made our society more global. As educators we need to accept the responsibility for making its use the most valuable to our children.