by Billie Peterson, Baylor University

Dear Tech Talk--

I found the recent column on public libraries and the Internet to be very interesting. I am a school librarian, and I know a little about what schools are doing with the Internet; but I'd like some tips on why and how schools should use the Internet.

           --Inspired To Know More

Dear Inspired--

There are a number of reasons why it is as important for schools to be connected to the Internet as it is for public libraries:

1. Public schools provide the lowest common denominator for almost all children in the United States, and they are the logical place to introduce children to the new technologically-based skills which this, and future, generations will use--much as they will use reading, writing and arithmetic;
2. A myriad of resources are available on the Internet that will enhance the resources found in school media centers;
3. Lesson plans, curriculum ideas, and discussion forums abound on the Internet, which can help teachers with the instruction they provide.

However, there is a serious caveat to be considered--providing school Internet connections will not make a difference in educational outcomes as long as the education continues to rely on rote learning and memorization. The education system needs to emphasize critical thinking skills: abstract thinking, problem solving, and inference. The bulk of Soloway's argument revolves around, "IF schools are connected, THEN schools will change." (Soloway, 18) Soloway maintains that provided teachers are given the training and encouragement to use Internet resources in the curriculum, the Internet lends itself to fostering the critical thinking skills which are often lacking in today's students. His article provides examples of student Internet projects in which they analyze data, predict outcomes, compare their results with the results of professionals, and even find errors in the professionals' results. The students participating in these projects are applying what they learn to meaningful situations and "publishing" the results on the Internet.

What are some of the challenges associated with connecting schools to the Internet?

1. Getting connected--the money involved; convincing the school board, administrators, teachers, and parents of its value; the amount of technical expertise needed;
2. Training teachers--how to use the resources on the Internet for themselves; how to incorporate the resources into effective lessons and instruction;
3. Changing the curriculum--emphasizing critical thinking skills as well as appropriate use of rote learning;
4. Sifting through the morass of information on the Internet to identify the most relevant resources for students and teachers;
5. Resolving issues surrounding the information on the Internet which may be deemed inappropriate for children.

Hughes suggests a low-cost model for networking 83,000 public schools. He recommends simple connections which give plain-vanilla access to the Internet without a high cost and without the need of a technical guru. He, too, strongly emphasizes the importance of teachers being well-trained in the use of the Internet, or the connections will be meaningless.

School librarians are well qualified to identify useful Internet resources for their schools. Even if they have no experience with the Internet, they are trained and experienced in finding relevant information...the Internet is simply a new resource which must be investigated. If at all possible, school librarians should take advantage of Internet seminars offered in their area so they become knowledgeable advocates for bringing the resources into the schools. Both library schools and state libraries provide opportunities to learn more about the Internet.

The Internet itself provides some of the best justification for why schools should have Internet connections. If you haven't done so already, I strongly recommend that you find a way to explore these and other sites to which these sites will lead.

K-12 Sources - Curriculum - Lesson Plans
http://execpc.com/~dboals/k-12 .html
This site exists primarily to help provide schools with justification for Internet access

Kids Web
http://www.infomall.org.kidsweb/< /A>
This site attempts to identify and provide links to the most useful Internet resources that are appropriate and fun for kids.

KidLink
gopher.kidlink.org
A grassroots project aimed at getting as many children in the age group 10-15 as possible involved in a global dialog.

Living Textbook
http:// www.npac.syr.edu/NPAC1/PUB/kim/livingtextbook/SC95/
index.html An example of a major school networking project undertaken by the state of New York.

Scholastic
scholastic.com port 2003
A gopher site provided by the Scholastic Company.

WWW School Registry
http://web66.coled.umn.edu /schools.html
A site where you can identify, by state, schools with Internet connections.

Web66
http://web66.coled.umn.edu/
A project by the University of Minnesota to facilitate the introduction of this technology into K-12 schools.

Private Disc. Groups & Elec. Journals
http://k12.cnidr.org:90/lists.html
A list of some listserv-based discussion forums for teachers and kids.

As a final note, school Internet advocates need to be well prepared to address questions from parents and administrators regarding the resources on the Internet which may be considered less than desirable for children to encounter. Read Flanders' article, Rumbaugh's article, and the work of ALA's Intellectual Freedom Committee as you establish policies for your school.

For More Information--

ALA. Intellectual Freedom Committee. "Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights", draft 1.1. http://www.intac.com/~k gs/ifc/ofcelec.html

Barron, Daniel. "School Library Media Specialists and the Internet: Road Kill or Road Warriors?" School Library Media Activities Monthly, 10. (May 1994): 48.

Flanders, Bruce. "A Delicate Balance." School Library Journal, 40. (October 1994): 32.

As always, send questions and comments to:

Snail Mail:

Tech Talk

Billie Peterson

Moody Memorial Library

P.O. Box 97143

Waco TX 76798-7143

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INTERNET: petersonb@baylor.edu