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The Internet is a wonderful new tool that has been bestowed upon the current generation of students. With a wealth of information present in one place, it has become a very useful tool in assisting many students in their educational endeavors. From research papers, to research projects, and anything else that involves research, the Internet has revolutionized the way that people of all ages learn, whether they are in school, or just looking for information on a particular topic.

One of the most useful things about the Internet is that you can find the answers to those random questions that may pop up while writing a paper, or trying to do a project. Do you need to know what the average gas price is in Milwaukee, compared to where it is in your hometown? Well, just type that into Google, and in just a minute you will have your answer, and your research is that much better for it.

The Internet is great for when you are having a debate with a classmate, or a professor in class, and they are trying to hammer a point home that you know is wrong. Well, ten years ago you would have to wait until you got out of class, go to the library, find a book, and then try to find the relevant information. If the library didn't have the book, you would have to order it form another library, and wait for the time when you could nail the person with the facts that prove your case.

Today though, all you need is a laptop, or a PC handy, and you can have an instant debate, with an entire world full of resources at your disposal. For the first time in history, you can have almost any source in the entire world, from an university database, to some guy in his mom's basement who is blogging on politics, and get a diverse view of opinions.

You do have to be careful though when you go to the Internet for sources, as not all sources are accurate, and you have to be careful as to what you read. The Internet does allow almost anything to get onto it, and fact-checking is not always as accurate as it needs to be to pass as a credible source. Also, there is so much opinion on the Internet, that you need to be able to discern fact from opinion when reading something. If you can't back up your work with facts, or site a source that can't back up its work with facts, don't use it.

The Internet is a great new tool for education. If I was a teacher I would be taking full advantage of everything it has to offer, and encourage my students to use it as much as possible for projects. However, I would also take a lot of time to teach students about the pitfalls of the Internet, and the problems it can cause. I would make sure that students were aware of plagiarism, or the stealing of others work, and how to discern a credible source, form a non-credible one. Otherwise though, we cannot stop progress, and the Internet has gone from wave of the future, to the way we find information in the present.

Learn more about this author, Cody Hodge.
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