Government Funds for Internet Education the Government

Government Funds for Internet Education The government has a duty to provide the best possible education to our future leaders. It is imperative that the school environment is conducive to learning. Textbooks should be up-to-date, teachers should be well qualified and the curriculum should teach children the skills they need to succeed in the world, no matter what career path they choose. Denying funding to connect our children to the Internet is to deny them an adequate education.

The purpose of the Internet far surpasses that of instant messages and email, the Internet is a useful tool for just about anything. Learning how to navigate the World Wide Web is not an option; it has become mandatory for anyone who wishes to thrive in this century and for the rest of time.

Brian Goldfarb, a student at Canyon High School in Anaheim, California whose ingenuity, computer savvy and his realization that many students and parents alike just did not understand the Internet created a service called "EduROCK" that identifies educational and family-oriented sites for its users. Goldfarb says, "Technology is the future. It's imperative that kids get involved and incorporate it into their lives. I don't open a book. I go online." The Internet has been around for quite some time.

However, usage dramatically increased in the 1990's as technology rapidly expanded and America Online hooked America with its infamous slogan "You've got mail." The Internet soon became a medium for buying and selling, research, and has connected more people in less time, with less costs than any other medium has in history. Soon, people began to realize that students could use the Internet to access information more quickly than traditional mediums. So far the government has realized the need for Internet savvy kids and the U.S.

Department of Education's goal is to have one computer for every five students. It would be fallacy if the government were to think otherwise. Students who do not acquire basic knowledge of Internet usage will fail miserably in our wired society. Students have used the Internet to accomplish feats that would be otherwise impossible. Some notable examples are the viewing of surgeries at local hospitals over the Internet.

Some kids are getting math instruction under the guidance of teachers trained in computer usage, increasing test scores above those of kids getting the same curriculum by traditional methods. Additionally, Students are corresponding through e-mail with experts in almost any discipline around the world. Students can visit Le Lourve in Paris and the Pyramids in Egypt without ever leaving the classroom. No child will pass up the chance to go to the moon and see distant planets from the safety of their chairs by simply logging onto NASA's K-12 website.

Students can even view breaking news from the websites of CNN, NBC and every other major network. Some schools have partnerships with other schools around the world, which allows a child in Washington, DC to "meet" someone in Moscow or Kenya. The Internet brings the world closer and makes the impossible, possible. The Internet enhances the educational experience and kids are able to add depth and reality to the learning process.

The Internet will never, no matter how advanced, be able replace the important role that teachers play in the classroom. Some tasks can be accomplished in a fraction of the time using the Internet, leaving teachers and students more time for other educational activities. Teachers spend an enormous amount of time preparing lesson plans; much of this preparation can be lessened with the help of the Internet.

According to Guillermo Pedroni, in his paper "The Importance of the World Wide Web in K-12 Education," "In classrooms where technology is used to engage students in learning, teachers are no longer the informational givers, they are facilitators, guides, and co-learners. As facilitators, teachers provide rich learning environments, experiences, and activities, create opportunities for students to work collaborative, to solve problems, do authentic tasks, and share knowledge and responsibility." He further asserts that the Internet provides an immediacy and global awareness that has been unavailable to students.

Students and teachers are able to have interactions not only in other parts of the country, but also around the world. From this they can learn about the life and issues that impact on other people. Federal, state and local governments play a huge role in the allowing the Internet to become an integral part of K-12 curriculum. Visit www.myhero.com, www.kidsnews.comor www.cenews.organd find a variety of interesting news articles and stories written by kids and for kids.

The Internet allows children to learn more about themselves and the world around them. The federal.