Lynda Aiman-Smith is a professor at NC State who has incorporated technology into her curriculum. She believes that technology's purpose in the classroom is to provide a diverse learning environment for students. "I tend to think of technology as being on a continuum, all the while trying to provide a rich learning experience," Smith states. In the future, Smith sees simulation games making their way into education. As technology continues to progress she believes that students will become more hands-on with different learning materials.

Read the Lynda-Aiman Smith interview.

Sue Glascoe is a math teacher who believes that technology is making a difference in the classroom. She discusses how using technology has helped her in teaching to her students and she encourages other teachers to use it as well. According to Glascoe, students are more likely to pay attention when they can use computers and interactive whiteboards in class. She states, "Both the younger and older students enjoy interacting with the technology once they get used to it, and it keeps them more engaged in class. This has had a very positive effect on their grades!"

Read the Sue Glascoe interview.

Mark Nelson, a digital content strategist, discusses the growing popularity of digital textbooks and technology in universities today. He believes that each year students become more comfortable with technology and more eager to use it for their studies. Nelson also compares digital textbooks to print and explains that there are many decision factors that determine which one a student will choose.

Read the Mark Nelson interview.

Lesley Biswas is a freelance journalist from India. She discusses the impact that online journalism has had on her career and why she thinks that it is changing the way information is shared around the world. According to Biswas, the internet is an important tool that every journalist should utilize. Biswas states, "Online journalism is a huge market, especially for a newbie looking to gain experience and some writing clips."

Read the Lesley Biswas interview.

This is a part of the Women in International Communications interview series conducted by the Univ. of Iowa.

James Peters is the VP of product development for Giant Campus, an online high school that allows students to earn their diplomas and other credits without stepping into a classroom. He discusses how Giant Campus and other companies like it, are using technology to students graduate from high school. According to Peters, online instruction classes are able to keep students engaged in their lessons and increase their chances of success.

Read the James Peters interview.

Congratulations to the Las Vegas Review-Journal for filing lawsuits against about 40 websites and blogs it says siphoned off entire stories or huge portions of them without permission.

For too long, papers have stood by idly while this kind of ripoff has taken place, devaluing the content. The Review-Journal has an editorial staff of about 120 who generate the stories, and Mark Hinueber, general counsel for Stephens Media, which owns the paper, believes "it's just wrong to then have some guy in his basement taking this stuff wholesale, selling ads around it and making money."

The bloggers excuse what they do by saying it's OK if they link back to the original ... as I'm doing here to the source of this item, an article by Los Angeles Times media writer James Rainey ... but there's a difference between linking from a snippet and linking from a reproduction of the entire piece, because with the latter, there's no point in activating the link and the justification is bogus.

On the Media Game is written by Gerry Storch.

Patrice Gendelman is the author of the Hannah Rose Knows children's e-book series who shares her thoughts on the effects of technology on education. She also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of online instruction and why she thinks technology and education will eventually become inseparable. According to Gendelman, a balance between human interaction and technology will create an ideal environment for children to learn.

Read the Patrice Gendelman interview.

Yves Bergquist, chief strategy officer of VZillion Inc., shares his insight on the future of education and Web 3.0. He believes that school systems will have to alter significantly as a result of technological advances. Current educational institutions must find a way to keep up with techonlogy as it continues to progress. Bergquist believes that computer technology has become an essential skill for people of all ages.  

Read the Yves Bergquist interview.

Our Future Journalist interview series was featured on the PBS Mediashift site. Check it out, and let us know what you think! We want to thank all the individuals that provided us with their time and input.

View the PBS Media Shift Article

Lisa Weaver, former CNN International correspondent, discusses the future of television as we venture into the digital era. Weaver believes news programs will survive the digital revolution after several adjustments are made. Networks will have to be open to reaching their audences through both the web and televison. Weaver states, "Basically it means conventional TV news has to pay attention and think of ways to get itself on outlets like Hulu and Youtube."

Read Lisa Weaver's interview.

Judy Muller, former correspondent for ABC News and CBS News, discusses the future of television in the digital revolution. Muller has noticed that news divisions have experienced the most drastic change. With the decline of advetisements and the struggle to maintain their audiences, networks are in a critical period of adjustment. Muller gives her opionion on where she believes the industry is headed.

Read the Judy Muller interview.

Dr. Robert Lichter comments on the controversy of what causes cancer. The controversial issue was recently initiated by the National Cancer Panel. The panel, believes that environmental exposure is directly correlated with the disease. The panel argues that syntehtic chemicals found in consumer products lead to cancer. However, many toxlologists don't believe these chemicals are a signifigant risk. Lichter weighs in his opinion.

Read Dr. Robert Lichter's article.