Originally Posted by jibber

This brings up an interesting point. I'm a huge advocate of using the internet as a learning tool in the classroom, not only because of the massive amount of information, but for the ability to connect with different parts of the world. I think a lot of us remember having pen-pals in a foreign country as part of a school project; mine was from japan. Now, kids can do colaborative study projects with kids in japan, not just writing basic letters to each other. it's incredible the kind of interaction available through the internet.

having said that, I do believe that something is lost in not going to the library and sitting amongst a pile of books. I remember being so excited in the 5th grade when I had my first, real, long-term research project (yeah that got old quickly), but at the time it fascinated me to browse through dozens of books and find important information in each one. On a recent trip to NY I visited the national library and just wandered for hours looking at all the historic books. It's a little sad that kids now will miss out on that feeling, despite the huge advantages the internet gives them.

Your point about editing reminds me of my photography. I learned with a 1975 minolta XD11. Now, when i'm processing my photos in photoshop after a shoot, even though it's way more convenient, I miss going into the darkroom for hours processing my prints. It's just so much more satisfying to see a roll of negatives you processed turn into a print seemingly out of nowhere. though dodging and burning is a hell of a lot less frustrating in photoshop. but, when your editor gives you two hours to get an interview, take the photos, write the story, and then file the photo and article, the convenience is nice