Teachers in the 20th century often stood in the front of the class and the students all sat in their desks and received the same lesson. The computer and the Internet opens a window to more options more options. A student now has the advantage of being able to work with online programs or CDs and to progress at his own speed. Similarly, students who need remedial work can get it using the computer.
Teachers can check to see which student has done which exercises. In tracking a student's progress, computers have an advantage as they also record quiz and test scores. This means that teachers can calculate when individual one-on-one help is required. Joyce Johanson of Western Illinois University predicts that paper and pencil work may soon go the way of slate tablets and chalk.
Computers and the Internet enhance the opportunity for students to conduct independent research. Students can be more involved in defining the topics they want to research. With the resources now available on the Internet, they can work from home early in the morning or late at night when the library is closed.
The laptop and distance education programs have opened a new world of opportunity for educating children. Students who are absent because they have chicken pox or the measles can now "attend" class by clicking on a computer monitor.
Teachers can take advantage of computers to interact with students by email and send out reminders of when assignments are due. Children are more likely to check their "inbox" than they are to pay attention to an assignment-due announcement.
Another advantage of computers is that instead of studying about other places and cultures from books, the social studies class can take virtual tours of other countries. Similarly, the children in art class can visit the great art galleries of the world. So even if the children are in Tennessee, they can be educated about King Tut online. Students in science classes can study the latest NASA photographs online.