Not Far From It Now

Vast resources today are available at a mouse click. Internet search engines help students locate in an instant what it used to take several hours to find or what might not have ever been included in their school or public library's collections. Educators, also, can locate information to share.

Student time in the library is limited, so researching with the World Wide Web needs to be directed. Weeks identifies several ways school library media specialists can help accommodate the tight schedules of visiting classes. Identifying and evaluating Web sites that might be of help or interest to the student population, librarians can guide students as they inquire and investigate on their own time. Also, when a teacher has identified a topic, be it cars or careers, to be studied on the Internet, the media specialist can prepare a list of Web sites for students to peruse, cutting down on their need to narrow a search.

School libraries are stocked with electronic encyclopedias and databases, reducing the need for costly and cumbersome paper resources. Students once went through the Reader's Guide to locate potentially helpful periodicals, having to cross-check that list with the titles available in the school district and wait up to a week for the resource to be delivered. Today, accessing local news sources or the Wall Street Journal, Discover Magazine, or Modern Medicine is as handy as the desktop. As electronic resources become more available and affordable, it is interesting to see the balance tipping away from print materials.

Weeks sees other benefits of virtual technology. Students can become aware of what's going on in other parts of the world; they can see the Tour de France or the space shuttle on a mission. They can interact with experts during scheduled chats or simply identify people in their searches and communicate via e-mail. Experts who would not have time to return a phone call might respond to polite e-mail inquiries. Both of these elements add dimension and humanity to the research process.

School library media specialists also might take on a new role as moderator for students in online courses. If a learning space is needed by a manageable number of students, the school library might be the place for them to work. One hour a day, the students could come to work independently, with the media specialist's watchful eye to keep them on task and friendly ear to help them sort through a difficult concept. Not necessarily knowing all of the content, but being familiar with the site set-ups and course expectations ahead of time, the school librarian can help the students succeed.

People often say that a computer is no smarter than the person who programmed it. This is a constant reminder that the esteemed machine couldn't operate without its human counterpart. No matter how integrated our society becomes with virtual technology, people have to make it work. Behind every intriguing Web experience are writers, designers, editors, technicians, and administrators working hard to make sure every element works perfectly. And behind every successful student, in any virtual learning environment, is not a helmet and a digitized teacher, but a talented, caring educator, adapting to the latest and the greatest technology has to offer and working hard to make sure every student has an rewarding experience.

Mathew Simond is a journalist and copywriter. He is also a webmaster of many websites including http://www.psychologycolleges.net and http://www.religiousstudiesonline.org He aims to provide healthy information and advice on academic degrees.

Reuters - O.J. Simpson, acquitted in a murder trial that gripped America more than a decade ago, was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison on Friday for kidnapping and robbery in a bungled attempt to recover memorabilia of his storied sports career.

posted by treehkczc  # 3:24 PM 0 comments

Sure you have probably read all the different stories and sales letters out there on the Internet that tell you that they can make you a game tester earning $100,000 a year without any type of experience or education. But, do you really believe this? Of course, not. Game testing is a real job, with real requirements and real pay - not $100,000 a year. There are some things that you will need to know and have experience with before you can become a video or computer game tester. So, here are the top four things that you will need to know before you apply for a game tester job:

1. You have to know how to test software. When I say "software", I mean any type of software out there since different games will run on different types of platforms. You will have to know how to test software to get any type of game testing job no matter if you only want to test video games or computer games. By knowing how to test all types of software, you are almost guaranteed to get a better paying game tester job.

2. You have to know game programming languages. This means that you will have to learn all the jargon of the game development world, along with some basic computer language, such as C or C++, to help you truly understand the different things that are going on in the game. You can learn most of these different types of languages from online courses or from local schools.

3. You have to have a good working knowledge of PC hardware and software. This means that even if you want to be a video game tester, you will need to know how to work with computers and be familiar with everything about them. You will need to know different programs as well, such as databases, spreadsheets, and word documents.

4. You have to have a good working knowledge of the video or computer game industry. This does not mean that you need to know what titles are releasing next month, but you need to know how the developers go about designing a game, how the programmers, artists, composers, and others do their part of the game and so on. This will require that you do some studying on your own, and most of this knowledge you will expand upon after you get a game testing position.

Well, there you have it. The top four things that every game tester needs to know before landing a job testing video or computer games. It is not an easy process, and if you are really serious about making it as a game tester, then you may need to take a couple of classes online or off line to gain the skills that you need to succeed in getting a good game tester job. Of course, there are other aspects that go into getting a game tester position. When you are ready to learn all about becoming a video game tester, you can find a full course at http://www.becomeagametester.com

MD Weems has been a professional writer for over a decade and is an avid MMO gamer. She also runs the MMORPG/MMO gaming web site, Zownder.com, and is the head of an elite MMO gaming team. She has several MMORPG gaming guides to her credit and is constantly writing articles and information about all types of MMORPG and MMO games.

AP - World markets were mostly lower Friday as caution ahead of a key reading on the U.S. jobs market overshadowed big rate cuts by central banks in Europe. Oil traded near four-year lows.

posted by treehkczc  # 2:47 AM 0 comments