In reviewing this book, it seemed appropriate to obtain the opinion of a young person who has used computers extensively (since first grade) and understands their pitfalls as well as their power. It also seemed important that someone who had taught using the Internet be asked to contribute to this review. Thus, this review is a collaboration between this reviewer, his 15-year-old son David, and Jyotsna Aditya, a teacher who has done research in educational technology and has taught using the Internet. This book addresses the needs of teachers who are looking for a starting point in the vast and uncharted wilderness of cyberspace.

The best part of the book is the excitement that the authors generate in extolling the Internet as a tool in education. The book remains focused without become repetitive, and gives the reader many perspectives on the pleasures and perils of teaching with the Internet. It inspires without preaching. The basic thread throughout the book is the first author relating a number of stories based on his own experiences in using the Internet to teach. Along the way he introduces readers to a wealth of information on how they, too, can use this resource. Any teacher, whether neophyte or expert, will be able to join the network and exchange thoughts--for instance, on why one project worked while another did not. This book does an excellent job of introducing terms and concepts, dispelling technophobia, and establishing a desire to explore new teaching tools.

The book is organized into three major sections: “Inspiration and Innovation,” “From Theory to Practice,” and “Broadening Your Vision.” Most readers will find it easiest to start at the beginning and proceed sequentially; those who are already experts and are looking for specific activities may proceed directly to various applications by consulting the informative index.

A veritable gold mine of information is included, not simply about projects and how to access this type of information, but the addresses of the people mainly responsible for the projects. Email and Web addresses abound, and these sites are accessible through any of the standard Web browsers. Throughout this book, there is a salute to the “can do” spirit and the willingness to take chances (and invest the hundreds of hours often needed to make the chances succeed).

As Beverly Hunter, a pioneer of the use of the Internet in education, says in the foreword,

Once connected, these impatient teachers are finding support and leverage in Cyberspace. They are learning to take charge of their own learning, develop information-handling skills and research methods, find collaborators and mentors, participate in and lead projects, establish routines for communication, identify audiences for their work, devise ways of assessing their progress, and rethink their own roles as learners, teachers, and colleagues. At the same time they are both learning from their students and establishing conditions in which their students effectively use the Internet.

So, while this book does serve as a guidebook for teachers to use the Internet, it also highlights how using the Internet can promote student learning.

David especially “liked the part with the World Wide Web resources” and enjoyed the “real scenarios and tips from teachers, and if somebody has a question they can write to those teachers.” His biggest complaint was that the CD-ROM is only available for Windows, and he has a Macintosh. The authors say a Macintosh version “will be available at a later time.”

If you are looking for innovative ways to use the Internet in a number of different disciplines, this is the book for you. The path ahead is full of challenges, but this book will help you navigate and give you a vision of how sharing this technology worldwide opens up an incredible vista of possibilities. Nothing will ever replace a knowledgeable, enthusiastic teacher in the classroom, but this book provides a refreshing perspective on how teachers can add another tool to their toolkits.