WELCOME STUDENTS

["Knox, Cathy" <cknox@cassandra.dehs.umn.edu>]

What difference does it make if a student reads info on the net or 
in a text? Has anyone else noticed most technical questions get a  
reference  source for an answer?  Is the objective to milk students for time 
in answering difficult 
questions, or is it to get their curiosity activated and fascinated enough to 
tap all resources available, why even to the point where they may ask 
questions from the inner workings of their own minds...?
Are we talking about unfair advantage? Seems to me take-home could mean help 
from anywhere; friend or relative in the field, internet or no internet. I 
came from blue-collarville where my competition was always those students 
with college educated parents...talk about convenient resource...
Think some more...refusing to answer student questions on the net means 
refusing only those questions that are identified as test question answers.  
You don't have to be rocket scientist or even an HP 
to figure out what kind of format gets the desired result.
Why not design education programs to accommodate an information resource  
such as radsafe; groups or individuals could take turns at being 
the "information hubs"; students could have issues and real life scenarios 
planted in their minds to which their questions would be the tool to beat a 
path to solutions.  
Has anyone thought of changing the regurgitation of information system of 
education?   What is so great about the current system of hostile competition 
and elimination of those who are poor parrots or ill-motivated by collecting 
points. Do we support and nurture our young people enough? Perhaps we could 
do more if we eliminated the need for judging, evaluating, and comparing...

These are my mental notes and certainly not that of my 
employer