Expert: Scottgem - 11/17/2006

Question
Thanks Scott! Here is the interview!

Interview for Internet as Resource for Kids

Your full name:
Website url:
Location:
Titles/degrees:


1.   Please provide background info on your experience on the Internet and any interesting things that I could use to help readers connect with you.
2.   How do you think the Internet has helped educate children?
3.   Is it better now with so much information at our fingertips or was it better when kids had to rely on the resources of libraries?
4.   How has the Internet helped or hindered kids learning?
5.   What tips can you provide parents for using the net to its fullest capabilities?
6.   Can you recommend a few websites that could help kids with school projects?

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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi
my name is Sumayyah and I am writing an article for my local newspaper about how the internet is a valuable resource for kids doing school projects. Would you agree to an interview for my article?  I would want to know how the net has helped kids educationwise and also highlight some websites that can help kids when making school projects.

You can e-mail me here: Abidhjs@msn.com

Thanks!
-----Answer-----
If you want to send me the questions thru AllExperts, I'd be happy to try an answer them.

Scott<>

Answer
Your full name: Scott Diamond
Website url:
Location: LI, NY
Titles/degrees:


1. Please provide background info on your experience on the Internet and any interesting things that I could use to help readers connect with you.
I have been an IT professional for over 20 years. I have been using cyberspace for most of that time. I have, at various times, been a subscriber to Compuserve, Genie, Prodigy and AOL as well as a direct Internet user. During much of that time, I have participated on various Q&A sites and boards, helping people learn to use the Internet and their computers.

2. How do you think the Internet has helped educate children?
The Internet has provided a vast resource of information that was not easily available until the advent of the WWW in 1993. With the debut of the WEB and search engines, doing research into a variety of subjects became much easier. It was no longer necessary to spend hours in libraries poring thru books to find information. Research, especially for younger children became a matter of minutes in front of a PC.

Q&A sites made it easy to find places to ask questions and get answers as many people (like myself) enoyed sharing their knowledge and experiences.

3. Is it better now with so much information at our fingertips or was it better when kids had to rely on the resources of libraries?
In some ways the vast amount of info available does make things harder since it gives one much more to sift through. But this helps in that it forces the researcher to make decisions about what is usable. But its a fine line between having to search for material and having to sift thru too much material.

4. How has the Internet helped or hindered kids learning?
Its helped by making a vast amount of info available. Where the Internet has hurt is in the changes in methods of communication. Kids today take so many shortcuts withy communication.

5. What tips can you provide parents for using the net to its fullest capabilities?
learn how to use search engines to greater pinpoint what info is needed.

6. Can you recommend a few websites that could help kids with school projects?
There are just too many and some dependent on the type of project. Wikipedia does stand out as a good starting point for any research task.