The is seen by many as one of the most powerful innovations ever invented, and with good reason. The figures increasingly in our lives that practically no aspect is untouched by it. One such area that the has had phenomenal impact is on education. Because it enables people to reach out across cultures, the possibilities it opens up for the teaching profession has become boundless.

The potential of the as a teaching tool is a relatively new concept but more and more people realize that it can indeed foster a dynamic learning environment. It is particularly beneficial as a teaching aid in English language learning.

The possibility of eliminating boundaries is one reason it can be effective in teaching English. Proximity is no longer an issue as it connects people located in different parts of the globe. Also, a teacher can facilitate learning by using materials that reflect the experiences and culture of his students. The makes this possible as there are now numerous studies on how different cultures look at education: how they respond to teachers, what kind of learning environment they have been exposed to, how they behave when interacting with each other.

The internet’s authenticity is also a factor. It enables students to gain access to real information and real-life experiences. They are no longer limited to using textbooks as their source of information as the offers an assortment of resources on a variety of topics.

The also makes learning practical. Students are empowered by the Net because it enables them to study independently. They have access to information round the clock and they can choose which information to take in. This promotes learning because students are active participants, learning how to do things themselves. They don’t really need to wait for the teacher to give them the go signal as they can even access the when they are at home.

Interaction is enhanced considerably

Baby's First Internet
<a href="http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/babys_first_internet/">Baby's first internet</a> comes amidst other, less illustrated, <a href="http://www.bigcontrarian.com/2008/07/21/tacky/">concerns</a> about the all-consuming 'blogosphere' and increasingly online life. The problems, it seems, are somewhat <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/magazine/20wwln-medium-t.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all">novel</a> and (one assumes) <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/">almost endless</a>.
ICANN has been under pressure
<a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jienXKDbIYHNPcywgq84IqyHtbPw">The popular online trading site eBay is one of the many companies that wants to have its own domain name.</a> <em>PARIS (AFP) — Web regulators Thursday voted to allow the creation of thousands of new <strike>domain names</strike></em> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-level_domain">top-level domains</a><em>, from .paris to .Pepsi, in one of the biggest shake-ups in Internet history, a French web official said.</em>
Lost Souls
According to a new report, children in Sweden are becoming increasingly concerned by their parents' internet habits. <em><a href="http://www.thelocal.se/12640.html">"This summer she has been sitting up all day and all night and she forgets what's important to me. And when she's not at the computer she's like a lost soul. She just looks straight ahead and says nothing. I'm not doing so well."</a> </em>Dr Jerald Block from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland is pushing for <a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112374.php">internet addiction</a> (and its three subtypes: excessive gaming, sexual preoccupations and e-mail/text messaging) to be included as a common disorder in the next update of the DSM (<a href="http://www.psych.org/dsmv.asp">DSM-V</a>). <em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2152972/Internet-addiction-is-a-'clinical-disorder'.html">"The relationship is with the computer. It becomes a significant other to them. They exhaust emotions that they could experience in the real world on the computer... It's much more acceptable for kids to talk about game use, whereas adults keep it a secret. Rather than having sex, or arguing with their wife or husband, or feeding their children, these adults are playing games..." </a></em>
First!
<a href="http://rvb.roosterteeth.com/archive/episode.php?id=288">"Wow, a new user... That's Great! We'd be happy to show you the ropes!"</a> a PSA on conversation starters in forums and comment threads online that have never been heard or used before. Brought to you by <a href="http://rvb.roosterteeth.com/">Red Vs. Blue</a>.
Suspension de labonnement internet
<a href="http://www.france24.com/en/20080618-france-try-web-subscription-suspension-against-piracy-internet">"There is no reason that the Internet should be lawless,"</a> President Nicolas Sarkozy told his cabinet, as <a href="http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/acteurs/biographie_5/christine_albanel_ministre_culture_56390.html">Culture Minister Christine Albanel </a>presented <a href="http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/chantiers/culture_851/lutter_telechargement_illegal_oeuvres_1072/christine_albanel_presente_projet_60336.html">a new bill </a>designed to encourage responsible use of the Internet. The legislation would set up a new administrative body that would receive complaints from the music and film industry and track down offenders through Internet service providers. An e-mail warning would be sent to suspected downloaders followed by a registered letter. After two strikes, offenders would risk losing their Internet subscription for up to a year. "We know that we are not going to eradicate piracy 100 percent, but we think that we can reduce it significantly," Albanel told a news conference. Minister of Culture and Communication, Christine Albanel, has made <a href="http://www.ifacca.org/national_agency_news/2008/05/26/albanel-celebrates-french-spirit-responsibility/">the French spirit of responsibility</a> a cornerstone of her portfolio. The new bill follows agreements signed on the 23 November 2007 at the Elys&#0233;e Palace, in the presence of the President of the Republic,<a href="http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/actualites/index-olivennes231107.htm"> by 47 businesses and organisations representing cinema, music and television, and also by all the Internet service providers, </a>who the Minister has compelled to fulfil the agreement. Firstly, the Minister<a href="http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/actualites/index-olivennes231107.htm"> revealed </a>that 74% of French people are in favour of the mechanism of the bill, which would, in the first instance, consist of sending numerous educational advertisement messages to Internet users who use their Internet connection to pirate works. Then, in the case of this behaviour being repeated, the temporary suspension of Internet access. The Minister also revealed that the projected mechanism will be useful from the preventative phase, since 90% of French people would stop downloading after two advertisements. This study also shows the adherence of the majority of French people to the defence of the right of the author, without which ‘creation’ would have its existence threatened, against those who support openly the law of the jungle and permissiveness on the Internet.
Searchme - Visual Search Engine
<a href="http://beta.searchme.com/Initial.html">Searchme</a> is a search engine that displays results as images of web pages.
The web conceived in 1934?
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/science/17mund.html?ex=1371441600&en=dcb3569538ca10b7&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">Le r&#0233;seau</a> - Starting in the late 19th century, Belgian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Otlet">Paul Otlet</a> envisioned the basics of a human powered Wikipedia and Google. He created a 12 million item database on index cards and accepted queries via mail or telegraph. The article describes his work and the Mundaneum museum in his honor. Be sure to watch the video. There is a <a href="http://www.sofidoc.be/lhomme.htm">full documentary on Otlet</a> as well.
The Internet dies a little bit
<a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9967119-38.html">Goodbye alt.*</a> <em>Andrew Cuomo claimed that his office found child porn on 88 newsgroups--out of roughly 100,000 newsgroups that exist. In a press release, he took credit for [Verizon's] blunderbuss-style newsgroup removal by saying: "We are attacking this problem by working with Internet service providers...I commend the companies that have stepped up today to embrace a new standard of responsibility, which should serve as a model for the entire industry."</em> Verizon eliminates the entire alt. subset of usenet. <em><a href="http://www.giganews.com/usenet-history/index.html">Today</a>, the alt.* hierarchy is by far the most populous on Usenet.</em>
Cyber Command &#0220;ber Alles
<a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174940/william_astore_militarizing_your_cyberspace">Attention Geeks and Hackers:</a> Uncle Sam's <a href="http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/05/air-force-mater.html">Cyber Force</a> Wants You! <a href="http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/02/cyber_command">Welcome to Cyberwar Country, USA</a>
Mapping Iran's Online Public: Politics and Culture in the Persian Blogosphere.
<a href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/publications/2008/Mapping_Irans_Online_Public">Mapping Iran's Online Public: Politics and Culture in the Persian Blogosphere.</a> From the abstract: <blockquote>We used computational social network mapping in combination with human and automated content analysis to analyze the Iranian blogosphere. In contrast to the conventional wisdom that Iranian bloggers are mainly young democrats critical of the regime, we found a wide range of opinions representing religious conservative points of view as well as secular and reform-minded ones, and topics ranging from politics and human rights to poetry, religion, and pop culture. Our research indicates that the Persian blogosphere is indeed a large discussion space of approximately 60,000 routinely updated blogs featuring a rich and varied mix of bloggers. Social network analysis reveals the Iranian blogosphere to be dominated by four major network formations, or poles, with identifiable sub-clusters of bloggers within those poles. We label the poles as 1) Secular/Reformist, 2) Conservative/Religious, 3) Persian Poetry and Literature, and 4) Mixed Networks.</blockquote>

when using the for teaching. It enables students and teachers belonging to different parts of the world to talk to each other and it allows students to talk to other students from different countries. It can also promote interaction within the classroom. Since the is such an interesting tool students are willing to participate more in class thus providing positive mental stimulation.

Its entertainment value motivates students to learn. Computers and the have become so popular among children over the years, and since student interest is already there, all the teacher has to do is make sure they are exposed to an array of stimulating activities.

As you can see, the is an empowering tool both for the teacher and his students. If used effectively and in accordance with learning goals, there is no reason it shouldn’t continue to be a powerful educating tool. As for students, their learning is no longer passive because the really does offer numerous activities for them to apply what they have been taught.