Post 4

   Web based resources can be questionable for a number of understandable reasons. Of course, when finding real information on the Internet, one has to wonder whether or not certain information is faulty or limited. Also, plagiarism becomes a much easier tactic in lazy students when given access to the Internet and it's various sources. The way I might deem this a helpful and skillful way to gain access to more information than ever before would be to limit the list of web-based resources to federally approved websites, or one's created by certified educators. There are many websites that give students various web portals that are educationally and federally approved that many teachers would support, some of these websites would include; Ibis Communications and NASA Quest.
http://www.ibiscom.com/index.html
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/

  My personal views on using the Internet for student research have changed greatly over the years. From a cynical teen growing in a modern world, one who loves the tangibility of a paper book or textbook, I used to shrug off the Internet as a resource and assert it as an easy and lazy way out. But, being that I'm not 16 anymore, and in this growing world of technology have to be accepting of the rapid technological advances of our society, my mind has changed. The Internet like everything, has its flaws, but what it does provide, that wasn't possible before, is access to almost all information one might seek at the click or tap of a finger. One student could, with his or her own ambition, gain far more knowledge in a short amount of time than one running across libraries, fingering through pages all over town.

   Since first beginning college I've thankfully had access to wonderful school-based search engines that link me to various article filled sites, and approved educational sites with a multiplicity of online resources. Of course, as we learned as students for many many years, there are certain websites that are usable and others we should avoid at all costs (i.e. Wikipedia). Usually when evaluating a source I regularly check the publisher of the sites, it's credibility through a Google-search, and so on. The access to our library's home page has greatly improved my selection of credible websites.

   I actually very much enjoyed this weeks Inspiration assignments and skill check. I had no idea word had a program like Mail Merger and if I do end up teaching that is something I can certainly see as a very helpful tool to utilize when working on mass communication newsletters/forms and such. As for the concept maps, I didn't particularly enjoy them, and don't see them as the most helpful or efficient tool in our day and age, but it felt good to familiarize myself with technologies I have yet to learn about before.