"Will Technology Take Over the World?"

http://www.helium.com/items/994179-will-technology-take-over-the-world

        Despite what even some scientists say, that we will run of of cyberspace the way we have empty holes of space between folders that are not aligned properly, or a registry, that needs a wash every now and then, technology will take over the world; don't you think it has already?
       We have robots that vacuum floors and digital dishwashers, besides those digital voices when we call a store to connect us to a particular department. We have so much technology, while we can't picture a world without it, we can't envision any more. It is difficult to keep up with it all; we should all have our personal computer guru, the way many of us have cleaning ladies or lawyers! Gone are the days of peeling potatoes manually, or fixing a car that isn't digital. Computers and DVD players have changed and what once was big and bulk, come in smaller packages.
       Can you imagine a world without cell phones? Does technology take over our soul and enable us to become addicted to every electronic device that plugs in? Has it made our world easier, or more stressful, because of all the choices and devices and emails to delete? I almost think that it has taken over the world already!
       Information is what we thrive for because the more that we have, the smarter we feel, whether we understand it or not. We have financial literacy, being taught at a much younger age because the world of finance has become more complicated. We have information technology where knowledge becomes powerful for us. Report cards at school are now on the computer, as lessons are integrated into each other via webcams, wikis, and webcasts. I don't think that blackboards are used today in school, other than to cover them up a "word wall"!
       We get digital information quickly over the wires, news faster, tornadoes warnings earlier, and satellites that expand the possibilities. Technology that was once unaffordable as the television when it first came out, is possible for all lifestyles. Camcorders are smaller, as are digital cameras, answering machines are a must as are phones in our ears as we walk and talk. Etiquette on using these devices should be thought about, however, in this generation of a rude society. As the technology depleted the manners of the human race, where at one time that human voice on the end of a business phone had to be pleasant?
Technology has taken over the world when people either don't know the rules or do not follow etiquette, while using technology, such as a cell phone in a restaurant. There is a growing need to have to be in touch with people all the time, and it has backfired, because our bosses can reach us anytime, day or night. Online college course is a "must", crock pot, convection ovens, and the drive-through fast food chains have replaced mom or grandma cooking dinner, and children's sports schedules have eliminated that dinner time conversation.
       Will technology continue to rule us and take over the world? Well, let's see. Do you really think that the information highway will be under construction or come to a dead end? Remember, we don't have to "fall off", as long as we are aware....that the earth is round!

What Place do Libraries Have in Our Education System Today, Considering the Rise of Internet Research?

       "Why is the sky blue? How many colors are there in the rainbow? Are other kids as curious as I am about things?" These are questions that have been heard by many public and school librarians all over the country. No Internet website can really explain these questions like a human touch, a human word, or a piece of advice or guidance from a tangible source....the librarian! Basic websites are not always reliable pieces of information, yet, at times, they are useful. We were always taught not to believe everything that we read, but today's children never heard that. Many of them do not have a conscience about copying and pasting and calling it their own, perhaps because the moral and ethical issue of this has not been instilled in them at home. Look at what children see on the news, for heaven's sake! Baseball players, singers, stars and people of government form an erroneous conscience, for their convenience! The school librarian can compare plagiarism to stealing their baseball trophy or their "honor roll" status, to make it clearer as to what the term means. Every child should learn how to put a report together from writing a clear thesis statement to standing confidently and presenting a well-constructed Power Point. Doing one's own work is a wonderful feeling, a sense of pride!
       Also, learning the process of compiling their reports together takes time, but is uplifting when the finished product is seen. Character education and instilling these values is often left up to teachers and librarians to make their pupils understand the importance of absolute values. Ethical students will generally become ethical adults and business people, unlike some of the scenarios we have seen played out along the lines of stolen company pensions and other stolen funds, in the news.
       Library Media Specialists, or School Library Media Specialists,as they are sometimes called, do more than read books and encourage literacy along the lines of reading and writing. They teach them financial literacy at an early age, so that children will make financially healthy decisions as they grow. Career-building skills are taught as early as the fifth grade, which include goal-setting and study skills, so the purpose of education is clear to them. These librarians and informational specialists, show students that education IS power, as it is knowledge, and that education that diminishes their risk of crime, drugs, and a poor lifestyle.
Trips, where they can go anywhere in the world, without the cost of an airplane ticket! The only cost is the time that he or she spends with the student, in helping them to explore these avenues. The child soon learns that these field trips are especially good if they are a slow reader or are a visual learner. They come to understand that these trips will aid them as they become older, in planning vacations and are encouraged to find travel books in the 900 section of the library, through the Dewey Decimal System. Yes, the geography and history section is not just for doing homework!
       If the Media Specialists encourage information literacy, and guide them so that the child is curious about things, "just because", then that child will ask to be taught where to find answers to his questions. This adult will be their safety net, to catch him as he starts to fall. These types of specialists do not just hand over information, but rather, show various resources, so that informed decisions can be made. It is the job of this underpaid human being to nurture a student's soul and to ignite the passion to learn and open up his eyes to the world around him. Isn't high level and critical thinking what our schools what them to experience anyway, as part of the learning process? When children question things they are thinking "outside the box", the first step to true learning.
       Making children responsible citizens and knowledgeable adults that will know how to buy a card, pick out a family insurance plane, find a lawyer, learn how to do their taxes, or even measure a window shade is a librarian's goal, with the answers inside the four walls of the library. Yes, you can call them "life skills"! While some people choose to go to the various "ask" sites, nothing can replace the expertise of one who works in a library. It is there that the value of databases are taught, the mechanics of research are explored, and the personal touch of another's encouraging words, with his or her experience are manifested. Teaching that reliable sources are not the Internet-based sites that appear like they are on-line encyclopedias and fool the public. Again, as my mother taught me, "you can't believe everything that you read"!
       Let the Library Media Specialists continue to fuel the passion that they attempt to create for those that have a "need to know". Any tidbits of information or trivia, even in the form of a game, helps children learn. This drive to answer curious questions can be quite contagious, but the children have to first "catch the bug" and "want" to learn more, and ask the questions, "just because, they NEED to know"! While we were not put here on earth to constantly entertain, all people learn when the drive is there and they are having fun. Let them to continue ignite that curiosity in a way that no on and off computer button can do, because we are there to listen, explore, encourage and to trigger a sense of curiosity within them!