Everyone knew that the age of computers was coming someday. Everybody also knew that pretty soon the computer was going to be the key element in society. Cyberspace is just the beginning of this glorious age. Cyberspace is just a web of information linked all across the world on topics that cover about everything that goes on on this planet. And cyberspace is very useful for the education of young, aspiring minds. Many teachers and students all across the world are turning cyberspace into the basis of education. The next thing that is going to happen is that you won't have to be located near someone to work with that person. Instead, we will link up in cyberspace and work together on problems. Classrooms can form teams of problem solvers, and can challenge other teams across the nation; where before, communicating would have been extremely difficult. But, within spaceless cyberspace (not a contradiction in terms) you can accomplish this with the click of a mouse. Cyberspace will help our minds think in ways no one thought possible. When I visited the United States Information Agency in cyberspace, I found a premier television and video program, "Family Album USA," for teaching American English overseas by video and television. It is now being used very heavily in many parts of the world. It is a thirteen hour video with 26 lessons. It is broadcasted to over 80,000 schools each week. In the People's Republic of China, it is running on 33 television stations, and in Thailand it is running on nine channels. Imagine, being able to learn a foreign language over a computer system. Cyberspace offers access to information over such a wide range of topics that the average, local library will become a museum unless it gets on line. Many people have research papers assigned to them that their public or school library cannot offer adequate help in finding sources of information. But links in cyberspace offer access to a variety of information. Need to do a bibliography on your favorite sports player for English class? Everything about sports is on the Internet, including predictions for the Super Bowl. Want to chat with Jerry Rice, San Francisco's All-Pro receiver? Go to the Internet. It's pretty clear that cyberspace is the link to all kinds of information, and can be the basis for education. Pretty soon all schools will be linked together and going to school will be just a giant computer class. More than that, class with be in cyberspace, with no real walls, floors, or ceilings. Hector Ramos
And cyberspace is very useful for the education of young, aspiring minds. Many teachers and students all across the world are turning cyberspace into the basis of education. The next thing that is going to happen is that you won't have to be located near someone to work with that person. Instead, we will link up in cyberspace and work together on problems. Classrooms can form teams of problem solvers, and can challenge other teams across the nation; where before, communicating would have been extremely difficult. But, within spaceless cyberspace (not a contradiction in terms) you can accomplish this with the click of a mouse. Cyberspace will help our minds think in ways no one thought possible.
When I visited the United States Information Agency in cyberspace, I found a premier television and video program, "Family Album USA," for teaching American English overseas by video and television. It is now being used very heavily in many parts of the world. It is a thirteen hour video with 26 lessons. It is broadcasted to over 80,000 schools each week. In the People's Republic of China, it is running on 33 television stations, and in Thailand it is running on nine channels. Imagine, being able to learn a foreign language over a computer system.
Cyberspace offers access to information over such a wide range of topics that the average, local library will become a museum unless it gets on line. Many people have research papers assigned to them that their public or school library cannot offer adequate help in finding sources of information. But links in cyberspace offer access to a variety of information. Need to do a bibliography on your favorite sports player for English class? Everything about sports is on the Internet, including predictions for the Super Bowl. Want to chat with Jerry Rice, San Francisco's All-Pro receiver? Go to the Internet.
It's pretty clear that cyberspace is the link to all kinds of information, and can be the basis for education. Pretty soon all schools will be linked together and going to school will be just a giant computer class. More than that, class with be in cyberspace, with no real walls, floors, or ceilings.
Hector Ramos
The Virtual Classroom