a limited list of places to check out
Avigail Oren has asked "How do we change the surfing process into a weaving one?". It's a well put question. All too often we find ourselves jumping from site to site, checking things out, getting a basic impression, and moving on. Most of us still haven't learned how to actually make good use of the information (or lack of it) that we find while on the net. It's time that we started figuring out how to integrate it into our learning and into our lives. I won't say that Ariga has the answers, but the name itself suggests that they're moving in the same sort of direction that Avigail wants to move. They're definitely worth checking out, if only for their peace resources alone.
Can the internet be used for educational purposes? Everyone's sure that it can, though we rarely see examples of how that can actually be done. Sure, there are lists upon lists of resources, and some of those resources are really useful. And the museums are getting better and better with their online services (I suggest checking out the Exploratorium for a very good example, though it's not the topic of this link). One of the best examples of true interactive learning is Odyssey in Egypt, a ten week archeological dig in the Egyptian sinai which communicated weekly with a group of Junior High School students in the states, letting them know about the dig and involving the kids in various problems and questions that arose. What's more, it's more or less a purely digital project, and it was executed wonderfully. It's a pity that it only lasted ten weeks, from around January to March of this year. (Change the number of the week to see the different communiques.)
The basic reason for having a home page seems to be something similar to Hilary's: Because it's there. All too often you read a home page that seems to have neither content or interest and can't figure out why someone would want to put it up on the net. On the other hand, sometimes you find something that's just right. Here's a wonderful example of a family homepage with lots of materials for exploring and learning. What's more, it's definitely a family project. They used to say that the family that prays together stays together. So what should we say about the family that HTMLs together?
Surfing the net can really make you hungry. And what better way can you think of to satisfy that hunger than to order a Pizza? This small piece of frivolousness is an excellent example of a growing number of successful attempts at humor on the net. It's as though if you can't fill the net with useful information, at least you can have fun while surfing the useless. And their selection of toppings ranges from the mouth-watering to the downright frightening.
Humor is one thing, morbidity another. People have a way of calling this sort of thing "sick", but I, for one, don't trust anyone who doesn't enjoy at least a bit of morbidity. TheInternet Crime Archives offer a healthy dose, with very up to date information on serial killers, mass murderers, cult crimes and the like. What's more, it's all done with excellent graphics and presentation -- a wonderful way to get your needed dose of morbidity.
If you love wasting your time but don't particularly enjoy watching television, the internet offers you a great alternative. Can it also be a tool for actually accomplishing important work? Or an aid for finding significant, even vital information? Someone in San Diego decided to check out what useful purposes people have found for the net. He e-mailed a large selection of people and requested that they send him their answers to his simple question -- "how is the internet useful for you?". The answers are concentrated in a web site called What Good is the Net?. It's a fascinating collection of responses by people who are trying to make good use of this tool. No graphics, just text, but well worth the read.
And if you've got small children, you can't survive without something from Disney. In our home Eitan is a Simba freak, so we usually find ourselves at the Lion King Home Page, but there's something there for just about everyone both new and promotional and dated but never out of date (after all, all of us have our favorite Disney movie). As is to be expected, the graphics are great. It's a pleasure to visit, to view all the contents and even to do a bit of downloading.
from here you're invited to return to the checklist
or perhaps go back to a persona or two.
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