Milam, Peggy (2003). How To Create A Standards-Driven, Technology-Based Collaborative Media Program, Multimedia Schools. Multi Media Schools. Retrieved October 1, 2003 from  http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/oct03/milam.shtml

In her article, “How To Create A Standards-Driven, Technology-Based Collaborative Media Program”, Peggy Milam discusses the challenges teachers and students face as a result of the vast amount of information that is readily available to us today.  She also presents her unique solution.  As a School Library Media Specialist, Ms. Milam has been able to observe the frustrations of students forced to sift through oceans of information in an effort to find what they need.  She notes, “The technology to produce data has surpassed the development of tools with which to disseminate it”.  Stating as a result that students, who ordinarily would conduct a thorough search, will often choose the first piece of information they come across.  The practice of which seems encouraged by the short-time limits, set by teachers, to conduct information searches.  She has seen the Internet become the primary source of information that students use even though a printed resource may be more accurate and complete.  She faults the Internet, for the increasing amounts of plagiarism seen in educational institutions recently, because of its’ availability and the fact that it comes without a price tag.  In an effort to improve the information gathering skills of the students at her school, she developed a program that highlights the process of searching, rather than the result, and complies with local, state and national government curriculum standards.  Her program appeals to students because of the entertaining way in which it is presented and conducted.  They enjoy the research process, which ensures their continued participation.

When I read the title of this article, I thought it was about starting a new school library media program not a search methods program!  I have to admit I was disappointed when I realized my misinterpretation.  A more accurate title for this article may have been:  How to create a standards-driven, technology-based, collaborative searching process program, or even more accurately:  How to create my standards-driven, technology-based, collaborative searching process program!   Although the problems with Internet based searches are well illustrated in this article, there is only one solution presented albeit a good one.  I would like to have seen more solutions to this problem.