Re: "NEA Today" article bothers me as a LMS--what do you think?

[Rubaiyat <sva006@MAIL.CONNECT.MORE.NET>]

My two cents worth:

        My biggest complaint about the WWW and research is that many
teachers, administrators, and people believe that they can find anything
and everything out there.  Not taking into account the time that it takes
to find the information and the garbage that is out there (Garbage in
Garbage Out).  So many teachers would rather send a student to the computer
lab to do research than to the library, because it is the "In" thing to do,
and then after an hour of searching the student walks away with little or
nothing to show for their time.  If they do find something, it must all be
true becaue I got it off the Internet.
        OR how about those teachers that send a student down to use the
Internet without any type of guidance or planning.  I equate these type of
teachers to those that used to (and still do) use the VCR as a way of
getting a free day so they wouldn't have to teach.  So they could get
caught up on their grading or recover from the BIG game the previous night.
        Those people who say that the internet will replace the library are
the children and grandchildren of those teachers/administratiors that
stated that the TV and VCR could replace the teacher in the classroom.
        How many of your teacher's that are so hip on doing research on the
Internet, have ever taken the time to read the literature (professional
publications or computer magazines) to discover how to use/incorporate the
Internet into their curriculum. I constantly am making recommendations on
Web Pages (that you guys recommend), but they would rather have the
students just use the search engines. These are the same teacher's that
bring a class down to do research, without ever darkening your door to find
out what is available.  Oh GEE, I've got a teacher bring a class into the
computer lab right now to do research.
        Nothing will ever replace a competent teacher in the classroom or a
competent Librarian in the Media Center, who has worked to develop a
collection that augment the curriculum.

I'm sorry that was worth more than 2 cents.



Curtis L. Clark                         ***************************
Media Specialist                          When you steal from one
Sherwood High School                     author, it's plagiarism;
Hwy 7, Outer Rd                          if you steal from many,
Creighton, MO 64739                      it's research.
816 499 2230                                            W. Mizner
816 499 2258 (fax)                      ***************************

sva006@mail.connect.more.net