LESSON 16

THE INTERNET AND EDUCATION

                                The internet, also simply called the NET, is the largest and far-flung networks system –of-all-system. Surprisingly, the internet is not really a network but a loosely organized collection of about 25,000 networks accessed by computers in 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 in the system.

                                How is everything coordinated through the Internet? This is done through a standardized protocol (or set of rules for exchanging data) called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). To gain access to the Internet, the computer must be equipped with what is called a Server which has special software (program) 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 the Internet is that once 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 challenge to those who wish to navigate it. Every day, 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 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 continue to spawn Net sites including new demand for services to business, industries, science, government, and even homes. Many experts predict that he 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 communication 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 pizza cost in your state? This educational activity prodded y 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 responsibility 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.