Today's class will feature visiting presentations by Bob Wood of the Sociology Department and Bob Evans of the Biology Department.  Professor Wood will share a paper he has written on Thinking About the Internet Pedagogically for presentation at a professional meeting.  Professor Evans will discuss his experiences teaching Facts of Life as an online course here at Rutgers in Camden.

John Chambers, head of Cisco Systems says that  "The next big killer application for the Internet is going to be education. Education over the Internet is going to be so big it is going to make e-mail        usage look like a rounding error."  Much of this education may be offered online, which will cut geographic barriers and open up competition from for-profit as well as traditional educational institutions.

This week's assigned readings are a selection of articles on the fast-moving topic of the use of the Internet in education:
"Next, it's E-ducation," a column from the Times quoting John Chambers.
Microsoft's take on your generation: Generation i with links to related Microsoft sites.
"Virtual High Schools" at the University of Minnesota and elsewhere.
Colleges offer Computer Literacy Requirements.
A course on how to study online.  In addition to reading the Times article, please check out some of the courses such as the World Campus 101 course.
A world of distance learning, colleges getting into online courses.
Electric Schoolhouse's problems.
Electronic textbooksand a story on Britannica.com.
A news story about a study of  problems with WEB based education.  There is a link to the original report of the study.  It seems too long to assign, although it raises questions relevant to our discussion.  You may read it for your Internet Diary if you like.

During the break, we will work on the following question:
How should the Computer and Internet Skills be Integrated into the Curriculum at Rutgers Camden?
       Your input will be forwarded to the Courses of Study Committee.

For your Internet Diary this week, please do some exploration of WEB sites related to computer technology in education.  The hyperlinks in Bob Wood's paper, Thinking About the Internet Pedagogically, are an excellent source of sites to explore.  You might also explore Times Education Homepage and Cybertimes Education Columns or visit some of the sites which give resources for educators such as the New York Times Learning Network, eschoolhouse.com (you can Enter without being a member), Encarta Schoolhouse, the Lesson Plan page, and the many sites listed on Yahoo's Page of Internet Resource Sites for Teachers.

For next week's entry, you must include five links to readings on the Suggested Links page. Write the usual 250 to 500 words, commenting on the articles you read. There is no additional reading assignment;  use the time to catch up.