MN Learning

The Internet and Study Habits

I am a huge Internet fan myself, I have found it very useful for many things.  For example, if something breaks down around the house, I often go online to find an easy do it yourself solution.  For learning, especially for researching papers, the Internet can be a great tool or a great headache. 

Some school do not allow Internet references when doing papers or homework.  Some schools do actually check the references of Internet sites.  But the biggest issue with the Internet is that it is filled with many sources and not all of them are accurate.  A case in point, recently a parent described a story to me in which their 4th grader came home and said that the first president of the US was black.  The parent was confused and asked him to explain.  The child said that the teacher showed a photo of a black man she said was the first president of the US.  It turns out the teacher did not do her homework, the man in the photo was a legislator from Liberia in the 1850′s who just so happened to have the same name as the first president of the continental congress, who is white.  This is an example of the pitfalls of the Internet.

It is important that if your student is using the Internet to do research, that they are using sources that are accurate.  As a parent, check your students papers to ensure they are using the right sources, it could save you a trip to the school when a teacher wonders where your student got certain information.