Editors' Note: When this article was posted in Reading Online in April 1999, readers were invited to comment on it through a bulletin board feature that was discontinued when the journal was redesigned in July 2000. Following are the comments posted to that bulletin board.

Readers who would like the opportunity to comment on this or other articles in the journal are invited to contact the author directly (e-mail address is available on the opening page or to post messages through ROL Communities.

Post 1

Author: Cynthia_Collins
Date: 07-07-1999 17:40

I am so glad to see teachers who are concerned about students and how they will 'fit in' in the technological future of the world. This article proves that teachers who plan authentic research projects that set out to answer important questions can provide insighful information to the educational community. What does the Internet and the mass number of web pages created by individuals, corporations, and educational institutions mean for the future of our students? How does the computer impact our global world? The only way to find out is to allow kids to explore. I know that I have only realized the potential and power of the computer during the last six months while playing on the Internet. Now, I view the computer a large interactive television/telephone combination that allows anyone to disseminate information and thoughts. Wow! I may be a little knaive, but every student in the world needs to have some experience with the computer and the Internet. I used to think it was the wave of the future, but recently I have realized that the future is here!

Reply 1a

Author: Maya_Eagleton
Date: 07-07-1999 17:40

I am happy to see that some readers are having a "Wow" reaction to this article! The future is indeed now. In what ways are you having your students to explore technology in your classroom? It isn't easy to accomplish, so I think it helps to share our discoveries whenever possible.Thank you for your response!

Maya

Reply 1b

Author: Hannah_Boone
Date: 12-06-1999 22:49

In her article, Eagleton was wise to give readers a detailed description of each student that played a part in constructing the school's webpage. I found the short characterizations of the middle school students helpful in understanding how previous useage of computer technology affects student's levels of comfort and creativity with technology. I believe the point Eagleton makes about students being behind if they are lacking in computer skills is well taken. As a future teacher with an ever-growing knowledge base about computer technology I hope to assist students that need to play catch up when it comes to understanding computer technology.

The method that Eagleton taught her students computer skills seemed to be effective as well. By teaching students about using the computer in a context of making a web page for their school the students learned the desired skills, created a valuable product, and took pride in their completed task. I was suprised that only several students continued on with the web page program but it seems as if, during the course of Eagleton's educational study, the students learned enough about useful internet and word processing procedures to retain the valuable information for later use.

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