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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1997
> December
> December 19, 1997
Hour Two: The Role of Computers in Education:
Many schools are spending lots of money to outfit their classrooms with computers and internet access. But is that money really well spent?
| In his State of the Union address last year, President Clinton said that "in our schools, every classroom in America must be connected to the information superhighway, with computers and good software, and well-trained teachers." Many schools seem to be jumping on the bandwagon. In a Department of Education survey conducted in the fall of 1996, 65% of U.S. public schools were found to have internet access -- and 95% of schools planned to be connected to the internet by the year 2000.
And it's not just the internet -- schools are turning to high tech solutions for more and more of their teaching needs, from computer-aided reading instruction to word-processing to mathematics drill programs. Students are being encouraged to use computers as learning tools in ways that were unexpected just a few short years ago. |  | But is all this high-tech emphasis wise? Are schools spending dollars on the latest computer chips that would be better spent on classroom space or books? Are school systems forgetting the last part of President Clinton's vision -- the well-trained teachers -- in their haste to wire up and turn on their classrooms? Join us as we look at the implications of computers in the classroom, on this hour of Science Friday.
Guests:
Alan Cromer
Professor of Physics
Northeastern University
Boston, MA
Bill Tally
Senior Associate Researcher
Center for Children and Technology
Education Development Center
New York, NY
Jim Schnitz
Director of Solutions Strategy
IBM Global Education
Provo, Utah
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
The Department of Education Technology site
IBM K-12 Education Program
The Center for Children and Technology
Technology in Education
Community Technology Centers' Network
The 21st Century Teachers Network
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