By Jessica Scott
One of the big problems our nation faces is education. How do we
get young children interested in learning? The answer most people
try to take is to make it more entertaining for them, to sort of "trick"
them into learning. The Global Schoolhouse Network, a division of
Lightspan, is trying to do just that. They provide educational software
and Internet services that are curriculum-based.
Internet offerings include the CyberFair, which is a competition for
collaborative projects have to do with technology and the web. There
are tips on planning field trips, as well as "virtual" field
trip with the Online Expeditions. There are also sections called Make
a Difference, about kids who are changing the world, and Newsday,
which allows students to create personalized newspapers.
One of the interesting things about this site is that it emphasizes
collaborative learning. One might think that computer-related activities
might be more conducive to individual study, but this site assumes
that the focus of the classroom will be on group projects. In elementary
education, it seem to be the case that many things are done with a
group, so it makes sense to emphasize that though, although it seems
like a difficult task to do so through computer activities.
Something I liked about this site was the lack of advertisements.
There are, of course a few banners for the parent company, Lightspan,
but its not as though random advertisements are shoved down the consumers'
throats, as they are on so many other sites. The focus of this site
truly does seem to be on the children rather than making money, which
seems unusual for an Internet site. Of course there is a charge for
some of the services, but it appears as though its just what's necessary
to keep it running, profit isn't really a focus here, which is refreshing.