The Internet takes a lot of flak.
It's no secret that a good bit of bandwidth is taken up with content that can politely be termed "adult" _ or, in Internet parlance, NSFW (Not Safe For Work). Sites such as Facebook make the news for spam, cyberbullying and concerns over privacy. "Viral" videos, which garner millions of views, usually don't speak to the higher intellectual inclinations of humanity.
So it's easy to forget that the Internet, though still relatively young, has brought a lot of good into our society as well.
It's easy to criticize schools, or the state, saying that they are not doing their job to educate young people. A lot changes in a generation. Parents see different environments in their children's classrooms than they may have experienced in their own childhoods.
Some may lament the prevalence of standardized testing in schools. Longtime Sidney High School teacher Richard Townsend told The Daily Star that standardized tests should not be "the be-all and end-all" for educators or their students, and we agree. Even the most sophisticated test offers only a limited measure of a student's knowledge. And the extent to which that knowledge reflects a teacher's abilities is even more limited.
In The Daily Star's recent conversations with longtime area teachers, what was most striking was not the teachers' opinions about testing, grades or standards, however. It was their observations of how much more their students are bringing into the classroom. Before the first words go up on the chalkboard (or SmartBoard, as the case may now be), students today are already ahead of their parents' generation in many ways _ thanks to the Internet.
Students "are more aware of what's going on in the world" than their parents' generation, Franklin Central School teacher Lisa Huyck told The Daily Star.
Oneonta City School District Superintendent Michael Shea echoed this sentiment, citing the Internet for the broader base of knowledge among today's students.
The Internet hasn't just helped today's young people know more about the world around them. It has changed the way they learn _ and the way teachers teach.
"Talking just doesn't cut it anymore," Jefferson Central School teacher Stephanie Dibble said. Students "have to be engaged."
Sidney sixth-grade teacher Claudia Jenkins said students today are learning "to think rather than memorize."
The image of teacher droning on in front of a classroom of bored kids is becoming pretty old-fashioned. And that's probably a very good thing _ not only for students, but for teachers, too.
Editorials
Internet pushes teachers, students
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Cheers
To new school lunch standards, the All County Band Festival, and welcoming home Army Spec. Michael Dow.
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Have a heartfelt Valentine's Day
"I love you." "Be mine." "You're cute when you're spending money."
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Embargo no longer serves a purpose
Fifty years ago this week, President John F. Kennedy signed executive order 3447, banning trade with Cuba "in light of the subversive offensive of Sino-Soviet Communism." As this anniversary passes, it's worth asking whether this policy has had its desired effects and how much longer it should remain in place.
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Women must win fight for opportunity
The Pentagon announced Thursday that it will recommend that Congress officially allow women to serve in more jobs closer to the front lines.
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Center helps victims of child abuse and neglect
We learned some good news about some terrible news in a story by reporter Joe Mahoney in Tuesday's Daily Star.
Continued ... - Wednesday, February 8, 2012
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Chamber made excellent choices on service awards
A special committee selected by the Otsego County Chamber has made two excellent decisions regarding the organization's annual awards for service to our communities.
Continued ... - Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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Cheers
To Michael Shea, Terry Bliss, and the passage of the bill to allow Otsego's exit from MOSA.
Continued ... - Monday, February 6, 2012
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A sad tale may come to an end with arrests
People are almost always sad, and sometimes outraged, whenever something awful happens to a fellow human being.
Continued ... - Saturday, February 4, 2012
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Pill abuse should be a priority for police, pols
Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Mark Pryor of Arkansas proposed a bill this week to help police combat a disturbing trend of increasing prescription drug abuse.
Continued ... - Friday, February 3, 2012
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More needs to be done to aid vets with PTSD
The recent story of Stamford grandmother Melody DiGregorio grieving the loss of her grandson, Air Force veteran Edward "Drew" Snyder, brings home the debilitating and often-unreported effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on our service men and women.
Continued ... - Thursday, February 2, 2012
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Area 'shocked' at underage drinking? That's shocking
It has been referenced so often that it has become a cliché.
Continued ... - Wednesday, February 1, 2012
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School's new lease on life a welcome development
It is a big place designed to echo with the sounds of young people in a healthy learning environment.
Continued ... - Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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Cheers
To the Central American Youth Ambassadors Program, to Ray Preston and to the NCOC building trades class and the Prattsville Fire Department.
Continued ... - Monday, January 30, 2012
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Mitt's not at fault for loopholes in tax code
As the longtime frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney has faced withering attacks from rivals seeking to upset him.
Continued ... - Saturday, January 28, 2012
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Rest in peace, Naples and Stalter
Our area recently lost two important and influential members of our community: Oneonta surgeon Dr. Kenneth D. Stalter and newly elected Sixth Ward Council Member Mike Naples.
Continued ... - Friday, January 27, 2012
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Case closed on 2 years of turmoil
"Case closed."
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Oneonta Mayor Dick Miller was referring to possible criminal charges against fired police officer Michael Breen on Wednesday, but Miller just as easily could have been talking about the more than two years of turmoil the city has endured with its police department. - Thursday, January 26, 2012
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Obama played his cards right Tuesday
Despite a daunting economy and a challenging re-election campaign, on Tuesday night President Barack Obama displayed what Mark Twain called "the calm confidence of a Christian holding four aces" in his State of the Union address.
Continued ... - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
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Searching for votes instead of honor
Say what you will about John McCain, the Republican nominee for president in 2008 who inflicted an ignorant Sarah Palin upon an unsuspecting nation.
Continued ... - Tuesday, January 24, 2012
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Cheers
To MLK Jr. Day events, Diana Nicols, and Jordan Beers and Mariah Ruff.
Continued ... - Monday, January 23, 2012
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Dignity not enough to show in speech
After weeks of watching the often unseemly, if not downright humorous, antics of the Republican candidates for his job, President Barack Obama should have little trouble providing at least one thing Tuesday night in his State of the Union address. Dignity.
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Cheers
