Internet Resource Value

My initial opinion of internet resources is that of a positive light. When I recall distant memories of my first exposure of the internet in school, I think about surfing online using a netscape browser on a slow connection. I didn't utilize any of the resources that were available because I wasn't taught what was available or how to use it. Once I got to high school I was taught how to use word processors, spreadsheets, and search engines. However it wasn't until college that I really used the online libraries for primary and secondary resources. Fast forward now and I feel robbed. There is a plethera of information on the internet for students to utilize now. There are online libraries like proquest k-12, and elibrary elementary. Students have access to literature sites like teachingbooks.net, and International childrens digital library. Teachers also have the availability to utilize the online accessories that come with their teachers editions. The publishers of the editions have tests, quizzes, video, and additional resources that cover whatever subject it is that you are teaching. This was totally unheard of in the past. I can recall older teachers with 7-8 resource binders that they had to use to teach with. Those days are gone. The internet allows teachers the ease of using whats available and also to CREATE their own resources that will be available for several generations of students and teachers to use in their classrooms and at home. Students having the ability to go online and find the information that they need in order to finish homework assignments and or to create experiments that they can learn from are very important. Everyone who participates in higher learning and education need the necessary tools in order to be able to do good work. The value of the internet is high. The things such as web 2.0 is allowing surgeons on one coast to preform an operation while the procedure is streaming live online and medical students on the opposite coast can follow the procedure on a cadaver. That was unheard of in the past! The internet now allows that! Hands on activities are so important in that field and having the internet to do that on is priceless. I wish that we had the type of resources that are available now where available when I was in school. They would have been so helpful back then. Unfortunately they weren't but now I will use the resources that are available to me. I hope that other teacher and students will do the same.