Lesson 16

THE INTERNET AND EDUCATION

                                                

The Internet, also simply called the Net, is the largest and far-flung

network system of all systems. Surprisingly, the Internet is not really a

network but loosely organized collection of about 25,000 network accessed by

computers on the planet. It is astonishing to know that no one owns the

Internet. It has no central headquarters, no centrally offered services, and no

comprehensive online index to tell users what information is available on the

system.

How is everything coordinated through the Internet? This is done through a

standardize4d protocol called Transmission Control protocol/Internet Protocol

(TCP/IP). To gain access to the Internet, the computer must be with what is

called a Server which has special software that uses the Internet protocol.

Originally developed and still subsidized by the United States government, the

Internet connect not only commercial, industrial, scientific establishments but

all other sectors including education and its libraries, campuses, and computer

centers.

The great attraction of Internet is that one the sign-up fees are paid,

there are no extra charges. Electronic mail, for example, is free regardless of

the amount of use. In contrast, individuals using the Internet on their own

personal computers must pay ongoing monthly fees to whoever is their service

provider.

Getting around the Net

The vast sea of information now in the Internet, including news and

trivia, is an overwhelming to those who wish to navigate it. Everyday, the Net

user-population and the available information continue to grow, and new ways are

continuously being developed to tour the Internet.

The most attractive way to move around the Internet is called browsing.

Using a program called a browser, the user can use a mouse to point and click on

the screen icons to surf the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web (the

Web), an Internet’s subset of text, images, and sounds are linked together to

allow users to access data or information needed.

The future of the Internet seems limitless. Already its complexity has

spawned and continues to spawn Net sites including new demand for services to

business, industries, science, government, and even homes. Many experts predict

that Internet is destined to become the centerpiece of all online communications

on the planet and in some future time in the solar system using interplanetary

satellite communications stations.

A view of educational uses of the Internet

Today, even elementary school graders in progressive countries like the

United States are corresponding via e-mail with pen pals in all 50 states. They

ask probing questions like, “What is your state’s most serious problems,” or How

much does a pizza cost in your state? This educational activity prodded by their

schools are paying dividends from increasing the pupil’s interest in Geography

to a greater understanding of how people live in large cities and other places

in the United States or the world.

Educational software materials have also developed both in sophistication

and appeal. There is now a wider choice from rote arithmetic or grammar lessons

to discovery and innovation projects. But the real possibility today is

connecting with the world outside homes, classrooms, and Internet cafes. And

today schools are gearing up to take advantage of Internet access, where they

can plug into the Library of Congress, make virtual visits to famous museums in

the world, write to celebrities, and even send questions to heads of states.