The Value of Internet Resources

I was recently thinking about how fortunate students are today to have the Internet and all that goes with it. I recall being in school and doing research papers and projects. I had to go to the library and spend hours looking for resources. We used a card catalogue to locate the literature, then we had to pray that it wasn't already checked out. Inevitably, it was, which meant that I had to get on the waiting list to pick it up when it was returned, if it was returned on time. Today, students can search encyclopedias, magazine indexes and read whole texts online. Yes, students may encounter information that is useless, nonfactual or dubious, but that was always the case. Everything found in a brick and mortar library is not of utmost value either depending on its use. So, we teach our students to decipher the information they encounter....Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. It happens to be part of those higher order thinking skills everyone is buzzing about.

There was a time when your loved ones went overseas for war or pleasure, and the only correspondence you could expect was a letter. Now, you can email daily to keep in contact. It used to be so expensive to make an international call. Now, it's free through the Internet with Skype, and you can even see the person you are talking to. How wonderful for teachers to be able to share their teaching with a classroom half way around the world. How about the ability to have class virtually from your bedroom. What a fabulous prospect for a student who is home bound or bedridden.

Moving beyond school, dare I even mention the advantages to a consummate shopper? Gone are the days of comparison shopping using your local newspaper ads. Now, you can compare the prices from stores you will never step foot in, some of which only sell products online. Imagine the advantage to families that live in rural or remote areas. the Internet brings stores to their front doors, and in turn saves them an enormous amount of time and money. Ecommerce happens to be my favorite Internet resource.

Here are some of my favorite ecommerce sites.
http://www.retailmenot.com/ coupons
http://www.vistaprint.com/ stationary
http://www.amazon.com/ online superstore
http://www.bookingbuddy.com/ airplane tickets