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The “Law of Interaction”

There seemed to have different views of the “oldies” and the “newbie’s” as to how the internet is used in various daily activities. Generally, the former defines internet as something that is a disturbance, and likewise a material that would corrupt young minds with the resources found in there such the overwhelming online games and pornographic items. Furthermore, the “oldies” view internet as a waste of time and money. It costs a lot of financial damage to parents when the “newbie’s” have to spend more of time in the screen that will definitely misguide them in their studies.

On the other hand, internet as seen by the “newbie’s” is the answer to the long unmet desires for learning expansion. Growth in academic aspects was made possible when these wire services were made to reality. Classroom interaction was extended at home, online and distance learning programs were introduced as a new trend of education today. Communications were made easy, and almost all office and clerical works were automated and can be done in a short span of time. Everything in the world is within the rich of fingers at home, school, and office and everywhere because of this innovation.

But for every action, there is always opposite and equal reaction as one may find it under Newton’s third law of motion, the law of interaction. This simply calls for both advantage and disadvantage sides of every invention circulating. For there is this most powerful medicine around and the most advance hospitals everywhere in the world, that dreadful diseases which can’t be spelled, unexplainable behaviors of virus killing thousands of lives are the corresponding advances too in answer to these innovations we have in medical technology. Similarly, computers were invented for a noble purpose. But it is the man himself who linked discovery to extinction of values because of the unscrupulous resources found in the net.

Whatever it is, computers were designed to function according to its purpose. In this case therefore, the computer is as good and as bad the person using it. This device is dependent on inputs we want it to perform. Thus, it would become a material for another innovation and better teaching-learning outcomes when used by educators in the classroom. Other splendid purpose it will serve humanity is its power to trim down working time in all walks of works. There can be no other considerations to believe than to embrace its presence and use it with guidance and conscience.

One of the greatest benefits of using the internet is its advantage in classroom instructions to provide educational opportunities for students based in their abilities and interests. For example, I can teach a basic lesson on a writing strategy and allow a student who is interested in and motivated by baseball to find examples of writing strategy on a baseball-focused web site. This lesson suddenly becomes more motivating, exciting, and memorable to these students.

Brain research shows that individuals remember events and facts in more detail for a longer period of time if there are emotions involved in the initial learning experience. This concept of emotional memory is highly useful as we use the Internet in our classrooms. Due to the timeliness and currency of the Internet and the fact that students can find information that naturally interests them, the Internet can increase the emotional impact of lessons, and making learning interesting, fun, and meaningful to students.

But because of the identified disadvantages one can extract from using the internet, careful guidance measures should be employed by teachers in a computer laboratory. Close supervision on internet generated activity is necessary. Well planned lesson matrix may deem identify wise use of time in the activity for the students not to get strayed in the lesson. Remember, when the cat is away, the rat is free… (For comments, leave them in my website at www.lesiomhar.page.tl or in my CP # at 09182452554).

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 at 6:34 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.