The Internet In Classrooms :: Teaching Education

The Internet In Classrooms How Advanced Technology Is Changing the Face of Education for Students and Teachers The first thing a college student typically does when he or she goes back to their dorm room or apartment is sit down at their computer and go online. They proceed to either, read their e-mail, check their online courses for new assignments, or go on one of the many communication websites or programs that are available currently to this generation. None of this would be possible without the readily available Internet access that we often take for granted. The Internet has proven not only useful for entertainment purposes, but has also dramatically changed the educational approach, for both students and educators, and the way knowledge is being obtained. Internet access in schools has experienced an extreme increase within the last decade. By the fall of the year 2000, 98% of the public schools throughout the United States reported to be connected to the Internet (NCES, 2000). This is a reported 63% increase since the year 1994. Also in 2000, the ratio of computers to students was one to six, an increase from the 1994 ratio of one computer for every eleven students (Mendels, 1999). Aside from having Internet access in school libraries and computer labs, the abundance in individual classrooms has dramatically increased. This allows for Internet learning to be more readily available to students on a daily basis. Statistically over 70% of schools have this access in at least one of their classrooms (Mendels, 1999). Many schools have made the decision to go high-tech and create their own web pages via the World Wide Web. This allows them to advertise themselves to the virtual community. There has, also, been a change in how the Internet is being accessed by the various school systems. Dial-up Internet access has often been replaced by the high speed or cable Internet. A large portion of the increased Internet use, accessibility, and popularity as an educational instrument in the classrooms has been aided by the â€Å"Education Rate Program†, also known as the E-Rate Program (NCES, 2000). As of 2001, $5.8 billion has been committed to the growth of Internet access through this single program alone. It was established in 1996, with the goal of making Internet access, service, and connections more readily available to schools at discounted rates, in both urban and rural settings.