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STUDENTS: Internet Publishing (r)

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

Topic 4 Students: Internet Publishing

Hi, my name is Jen Barrese and I am a Junior at Cold
Spring Harbor High School.  I have been involved with the
internet since ninth grade doing various projects.  I have
mostly been involved with one of our school magazines called
The Contemporary.  The magazine uses a teleconference to post
a number of topics for discussion by participants in our
project.  The on-line discussions that result from around the
world provide the basis for many of the article we print in
TC, and they make the magazine interesting and unique among
school publications.
In answer to your question, student journalism and
school publications have definitely enhanced and, in turn,
have been enhanced by Internet on-line project work in my
school.  Having a publication gives more incentive to have an
on-line discussion because there is a specific reason to have
the discussion.  Also it is nice to know that your discussion
will be published - this makes people who respond to your
discussion questions express themselves more fully and
eagerly.  And, I think when you have a publication, more
kids want to be involved in your internet project and this
obviously enhances on-line discussion.
My advice for a group wanting to start a publication is
to pick thought provoking topics to focus on, and ones
meaningful to kids everywhere.  Think of topics which people
around the world would like to answer and maybe topics which
would result in a wide range of answers from around the
world.  It is always interesting to hear different responses
to the same question, to see how responses vary from culture
to culture.
I think it is a great to be involved in on-line
discussions that are publication oriented - they are mind-
expanding and exciting.