I just finished reading Soloway (et al.)’s article K-12 and the Internet (2000).

I completely agree with the opening statement of this article: that learning is enhanced when there is information and discussion about ideas that are available to students and teachers. I also like the idea that it is the internet that has taken the next step in connecting schools to the outside world, making students learning more relavent and applicable.
As to the comment by Gelertner about children already being overwhelmed with information without the internet… Since when do we simply ignore a vital and progressive instrument for learning because the students might not be able to cope with using the tool? Is it not our job as teachers to help students learn how to use all the tools they have access to?
I believe Soloway has it right. It is our job to create “thoughtful, informed, empowered learners” and the internet is our newsest resource. We must learn to use it to its fullest potential.
The internet uniquely supports learning, not only because of the abundance of information it supplies in a second, but also because it provides a diversity of opportunities for discourse between students and teachers.
The arguments against using the internet in K-12 classrooms seem outdated, and quite honestly ridiculous. — “we didn’t have the Internet to learn when we were in school, there’s pornography on the Web …”

Image from: http://bioliteracy.net/Graphics/my_brain_is_full.gif