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Vast resources today are available at a mouse click. Internet search engines help students locate in an instant what it used to take several hours to find or what might not have ever been included in their school or public library's collections. Educators, also, can locate information to share.
Student time in the library is limited, so researching with the World Wide Web needs to be directed. Weeks identifies several ways school library media specialists can help accommodate the tight schedules of visiting classes. Identifying and evaluating Web sites that might be of help or interest to the student population, librarians can guide students as they inquire and investigate on their own time. Also, when a teacher has identified a topic, be it cars or careers, to be studied on the Internet, the media specialist can prepare a list of Web sites for students to peruse, cutting down on their need to narrow a search.
School libraries are stocked with electronic encyclopedias and databases, reducing the need for costly and cumbersome paper resources. Students once went through the Reader's Guide to locate potentially helpful periodicals, having to cross-check that list with the titles available in the school district and wait up to a week for the resource to be delivered. Today, accessing local news sources or the Wall Street Journal, Discover Magazine, or Modern Medicine is as handy as the desktop. As electronic resources become more available and affordable, it is interesting to see the balance tipping away from print materials.
Weeks sees other benefits of virtual technology. Students can become aware of what's going on in other parts of the world; they can see the Tour de France or the space shuttle on a mission. They can interact with experts during scheduled chats or simply identify people in their searches and communicate via e-mail. Experts who would not have time to return a phone call might respond to polite e-mail inquiries. Both of these elements add dimension and humanity to the research process.
School library media specialists also might take on a new role as moderator for students in online courses. If a learning space is needed by a manageable number of students, the school library might be the place for them to work. One hour a day, the students could come to work independently, with the media specialist's watchful eye to keep them on task and friendly ear to help them sort through a difficult concept. Not necessarily knowing all of the content, but being familiar with the site set-ups and course expectations ahead of time, the school librarian can help the students succeed.
People often say that a computer is no smarter than the person who programmed it. This is a constant reminder that the esteemed machine couldn't operate without its human counterpart. No matter how integrated our society becomes with virtual technology, people have to make it work. Behind every intriguing Web experience are writers, designers, editors, technicians, and administrators working hard to make sure every element works perfectly. And behind every successful student, in any virtual learning environment, is not a helmet and a digitized teacher, but a talented, caring educator, adapting to the latest and the greatest technology has to offer and working hard to make sure every student has an rewarding experience.
Mathew Simond is a journalist and copywriter. He is also a webmaster of many websites including http://www.psychologycolleges.net and http://www.religiousstudiesonline.org He aims to provide healthy information and advice on academic degrees.
AP - First lady Laura Bush says she disagrees with critics who say her husband's presidency was a failure.
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