Toni Whelan

Slm521SPO3

02/26/03

article1

Holding onto Books

The article I read was about the use of encyclopedias in the classroom or on the Internet. It discussed the pros and cons of searching this type of information on the Internet. When children are searching, a problem can be they enter sites inappropriate for there use. Encarta is mentioned as the most widely used version, and the article takes a look of how it is introduced free at first and then you can subscribe to it. The view of the vice president of World Book expresses "printed volumes on hand in schools helps promote literacy and allows students to explore with more serendipity than they might online…there is something emotional about learning by turning pages of a book. The one thing that the Internet has that you can never get from a book is the multi-media add-ons like videos, maps, virtual tours, and timelines." (Walsh, 2003) A teacher in elementary school was asked which she preferred using. Her response was it depended on where she was standing. One side of her classroom had books and the other side had computers.

I had a personal issue to read this article. My stepfather sold Britannica for many years, door to door. He was a district manager and made good money selling books. A hard sale no doubt, but a Jewish man can sell anything as the saying goes. We always had the most updated versions, unlike the Internet it never could be as up to date. My memory of looking up things in the books, is a memory of fondness. The pages seemed as if they were not made of paper, but something so thin like silk. The last version he still has the pages are lined in gold. When closed each book looked as if the pages were not real. I have asked him to leave this to me in his will, but he claims I would never want such books because of the Internet. I have Encarta CD and we use it often. It works for our needs, but there is something about holding a book. The Vice President of World Book is right about the serendipity of looking through those books. Some times I use to just let the pages slip through my hands, as a young person, exploring all about the world in a quiet corner of my room. I think our children will miss out on that kind of pleasure. The simplicity of the Computer takes away an intimate feeling you can get with books. Serendipity is funny because literally I went to get my mail and there was a free Britannica CD ROM.

Resources

Walsh, Mark, January 2003, In a Digital World, Encyclopedias Strive for Relevance, Educational Week, htttp://www.edweek.o…/ewstory.ctm?slug