This has become an especially hot topic lately. A number of newspapers (including The Wall Street Journal and The Chicago Tribune) have done major articles on classrooms where students are permitted to use resources available through the internet to help answer questions on quizzes and tests. One school of thought holds that educators should teach students to use all the resources available to help them solve problems. It is the method of problem solving that is important here. Another group believes students need to learn and remember basic facts in order to be productive and responsible members of society.

You can mention that more schools seem to be permitting students to use "extraordinary means" when taking some quizzes and tests. Some teachers are building "googling" right into their assignments. Others permit text messaging their friends for help in finding correct answers.

But then add that to many this sounds like one huge "open book exam." You might note one way to meet the new technology half-way: students can take the test with an open computer but the highest grade they can get is a "B." Their choice.

For more on this you might want to look at a recent newseltter we sent.