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STUDENTS: Knowledge of World (r)

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

Topic 3

What have you learned from another student as a result of the
internet?

As a result of the internet, I've been able to establish
various contacts in Japan which I never would have been able
to by other means.  By actually speaking directly with
Japanese students, I've been able to learn the little
nuances of their culture which a book or encyclopedia could
never show.  One of the most interesting things I've learned
is that Japan is not the technological wonder-world popular
opinion would make it out to be.  The students I've talked
to, who go to what is supposedly a relatively prestigious
Japanese high school, don't have computers in their homes,
or access to the internet through school.  Their school has
no computer program either, and they correspond with me via
their English teacher, who translates their messages and
sends them to me.  In the words of Sue Bruell, the English
teacher, "Japan may make great computer components, but that
doesn't necessarily mean that most Japanese can use a fully
assembled machine."  So in my case, as a vehicle for creating
social and cultural awareness, the internet can be a very
valuable tool.