I'm afraid I'll be left behind by more technologically adventurous colleagues and even by students who seem to increasingly be interested in and knowledgeable about the Web. In using the Web, I hope to become more efficient as a teacher. The virtue of good teaching does not lie in efficiency, or indeed, the search for ever new methods to provide more information to still larger numbers of students. Neither teaching methods nor curriculum should be based on a crude utilitarian calculus. It requires individual commitment and 'local knowledge,' neither of which are fungible commodities or likely to be found in abundant supply with the advent of computers.
Students learn in different ways.
There is recurrent talk about individuals as learners, and today, much talk about learning strategies. There is no technology, no methodology, that makes learning easy or free of frustration. Learning is a time-consuming labor, a matter of commitment, hope, failure, and perseverance. I'm curious about the Web because I have always tried to make change a part of my teaching and want to continue to do so. It is the care and attention we pay particular texts and the quality of the questions we present our students, our willingness to take up again and again, old texts with new students that must command allegiance.