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STUDENTS: Technology's Value to Me (r)

(written by coldspring@iearn.org, 03/25/1996)

Topic 2

a. The Internet could, and does already, serve to heighten
awareness of the cultures of others, and determine common
interests between diverse groups for informational purposes
as well as social ones.

b. Working with technology has improved our writing and
communication skills and has also helped to make us more
knowledgeable of world around us.  We have learned the
importance of being tactful in working with individuals who
hold views very different from our won.  Once we received a
very hostile letter from one student who questioned our
ability to write an article we were working on concerning
youth gangs - he felt that kids from a suburban white school
knew zilch about such a topic. Instead of blasting back at
this particular person, we chose to try to understand his
perspective and draw him into our investigation.  This proved
to be the proper and most effective way to handle this very
topic.

c. Through personal exchanges, we have gotten a glimpse into
the lives of other students world-wide.  Also we have had
many opportunities to gain information that would not have
been available without the technology.  For example, last
year, we were fortunate enough to have a contact at the
Copenhagen Summit on Social Development, Professor Clements,
who provided us with an inside look into the procedures of
the Summit as well as all the pathos surrounding the
agreements made there by the heads of state.  It was great to
get daily reports about doings we might not have even heard
much about otherwise.  As part of our work on The
Contemporary, we have also received first hand messages
concerning such current events as the Hamas bombings, the
Dunblane shooting, and the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin
just to mention a few.