Chatting It Up Online by Pamela Livingston
This article is about how now children have the opportunity to speak with the author of the books they read in class online. The author, Pamela Livingston, first discusses how classes find the chat they want to participate in and what they have to do in order to participate. Livingston then goes on to tell how the program was, and the details involved with the chat, such as rules, protocol, and etiquette, such as not using all capital letters (which is considered shouting in online chats). After this, she moved on to talk about her school's participation in the program, the pros and cons they felt, and their overall satisfaction level. After reading this author, I thought, why is it a positive addition to a child's education to allow them to speak with the author of the book they read? I feel that encouraging children to read is one of the best things a teacher can do, and I believe this program would greatly encourage children to read. Also, being able to ask questions to the actual author instead of just a teacher will help children further understand the reading. I also wondered if this program is available and affordable to every school, considering the cost of computers and Internet access can be costly. This program is a great idea, but I think there are many schools that do not have adequate funding in order to participate. I actually saw a commercial yesterday for a new donation program for schools, wherein the public can go to a website and choose specific programs at schools that they wish to donate to. This way people can feel like they are actually making a difference, instead of just feeling like they are paying taxes. Some of our taxes go to schools, but many people do not see immediate results that they would like, so this program allows them to see those results.
