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This strikes me as an incredibly uncritical and self serving article. Maybe this is just because every time one "moves" to the next page a Dell ad pops up. With the decrease of school funding and the increase of connection costs and databases, I would hate to have to rely on only online resources.

The Room for Debate section of the NYT looks at this question. Are schools looking to spend less on teachers, or do online classes provide new skills and opportunities?

As the author says: a bit simplistic? Yes! But...

I have used Marcus P. Zillman as a resource in previous papers for school so I was intrigued when I saw this HUGE list of social informatics and networking websites that he had compiled. He also writes for LLRX a highly regarded Law Librarian e-zine here: http://www.llrx.com/authors/398

Wow, this list is huge. Problem with a list like this is I wonder how often it is managed, to make additions and remove URLs that don't exist anymore.

I read this article detailing why e-books are better for the environment, cheaper, easier for eyes to read, convenient... My question is if anyone has an e-book reader and how they like it. I'm considering one of my own.

I have a Kindle and I LOVE it. I will admit that I hate that I cannot share my books with my friends as this is something that I used to do all the time. The Nook has that capability and there are rumors that Amazon will push through software that will allow this capability and I really hope they do. The Kindle has done amazing things for my book shelves and I think my husband is thrilled that we no longer have to keep adding. It is a dedicated ereader so it is limited to what I can do compared to an iPad but when I just want to read something the Kindle (or ereader) cannot be beat. While you are reading the iPad you are looking a computer monitor and that really strains my eyes. The Kindle is exactly like reading a book and there is no eye strain. Plus, the Kindle is a lot lighter than a book so it is much more comfortable to hold for long periods of time. It is great when I travel because I have a ton of books loaded onto my Kindle and I am set to go and I do not have to worry about their weight or carrying them around. Dessi mentioned that she liked having the old-fashioned paper in her hands and I thought I was going to be that way as well but I got over it real quick! I will admit that I do not like it for my school text books because I like to be able to visually see my books and I place notes all over the place with post-its and an old-fashioned book is just better for me in that respect.

They all seem to have advantages and disadvantges... I agree one problem with the ipad is the screen - it's better than a typical computer screen, but not as easy on the eyes as a dedicated e-reader. I am still attached to the physical experience of reading and writing, but that's cool that has really worked for Heather. One of the reasons why it might have not worked for scholarly reading is that the tools still seem limited for engaged reading, marking up texts, highlighting, etc. I am hoping there will be good apps for this with the ipad (i just got it and haven't had a chance to look). Beestel, you have to read through the details of each device to find out what is best for you and your reading needs.

Using social media to drive social change

Kayla Webley of Time (2011 Feb 18) wrote on the effect of a teacher's angry blog about students. While she tried to hide her full name and not directly identify with the school district, someone made the connection with her picture. Currently the teacher is suspended, but is pursuing a legal resolution.

I mentioned this video in a comment I made in this week's discussion. It highlights several reasons why school librarians are so essential now more than ever.

So far, it's mostly being used for students who fail courses, and retake it as "online credit recovery."

The Idaho example is crazy (in my opinion), and private corporations are increasingly trying to get K-12 education money. However, online classes can be appropriate at this level in some situations (e.g., languages).

How technology is being incorporated into education (and its costs).