At School -- Getting Involved with Technology
Helping Ensure That All Children Have an On-Ramp

At School -- Getting Involved with Technology

Schools are where many parents first encounter computers and online technology. More and more schools are getting connected to the information superhighway, as they acquire computers and get linked to the Internet. And because schools are located in every community and open to every child, they are the best way to ensure that every child gets the benefits of new technologies.

Schools that are using technology in education are blazing new, uncharted paths. Early studies of their educational results are encouraging. They show that computer-assisted learning can improve academic performance and can motivate students who have been hard to reach.¹⁸ For example, computers and technology have shown very promising results in enabling students with disabilities to learn and communicate more successfully; they have also produced significant gains for students in isolated or rural areas.¹⁹

There are some simple ways you can begin to get involved at your child's school:

• Ask a teacher to set aside a time for you to come in and observe or join in on the computer with your child.
• Encourage your school to have a parents' night to see what the students are doing with computers and technology.
• Ask the principal to set up a meeting to talk with parents about the school's goals with technology.
• Find out whether your school has a technology plan. If so, become familiar with it. If not, identify which teachers are most interested and encourage them to develop a plan.
• Get involved with your PTA's technology committee.
• Volunteer in your school's computer lab or classes.

As you begin to get involved, remember you are probably not alone. Many telephone and cable companies have announced major initiatives to provide Internet connections to schools. Computer hardware and software companies are also donating significant amounts of equipment to schools. Many states and cities, professional associations, and civic groups are also getting involved with providing technology to schools.

Schools and Technology 50% of U.S. public schools have some access to the Internet.20 31% of schools with a large proportion of students from poor families have access to the Internet, compared with 62% of schools with higher-income students.21 9% of all public school instructional rooms have Internet access.22

Becoming a Technology Ally at Your Child's School—Some Tips

There are a variety of places parents can turn to get technical help as they work with their school on technology matters. Some written materials are listed in the Resources section. In addition, your state department of education or school district office may provide useful materials or training. Also ask district office personnel whether there are companies or nonprofit organizations in your community that help schools design technology programs.

The following checklist for establishing a strong technology program at your child's school was developed based on a review of successful programs, with input from teachers, administrators, and parents.

Step 1: Building Readiness—What's Needed?

• Support from the principal and school district.
• A core of enthusiastic teachers.
• Training for teachers.
• A school culture that encourages ongoing reassessment of curriculum.
• A link to the library staff from the start.
• A core of enthusiastic and, ideally, experienced parents.
• Allies and sources of help from the start, including other schools, private sector mentors, nonprofit organizations, etc.
• A system for respectful, honest discussion of issues between teachers, administration, parents, and students.

Step 2: Designing and Introducing the Program—What's Needed?

• Clear educational vision for the school.
• Technology goals and a plan to help achieve the school's educational goals.
• Attention to how students will use the resources (collaborative projects, storage of their work, etc.).
• A systematic and thoughtful introduction of the technology plan to teachers and parents.
• Coordination, as needed, with the school district.
• A plan for paying for the wiring, computers, software, and online use.
• Smart decisions about wiring, computers,programs, etc.
• Involving parents and students in designing the plan (bringing parents in early helps build a strong parent/school relationship).
• Involving students in the planning process.

Step 3: Keeping the Technology Program Up to Speed—What's Needed?

• Ongoing discussion and evaluation of thetechnology activities (involving administration, teachers, parents, students, and staff).
• Ongoing professional development, technical assistance, and troubleshooting.
• Resourcefulness in generating funds to maintain and upgrade the program.
• An entrepreneurial team to forge alliances with corporations and other needed resources.
• Regular checks to be sure the program meets educational goals.

Acceptable Use Policies

Many state departments of education and local school districts have recommended that schools develop a contract with every student using online services at school to insure they are using the information superhighway appropriately. Called Acceptable Use Policies, these contracts encourage responsible behavior by students and give teachers enforceable rules; for example:

• The network should be used in a way that is consistent with the school's code of conduct.
• Students should share the system and be careful not to monopolize it.
• The network should be used for educational purposes (e.g., students should avoid placing commercial advertising online without permission).

The policies also ban illegal activity like:

• Selling drugs or other illegal materials online;
• Using copyrighted material without permission;
• Using networks to view indecent or obscene materials;
• Creating or distributing computer viruses;
• Using somebody else's name or code number to send or receive messages;
• Sending racist, sexist, inflammatory, or obscene messages; and
• "Hacking" of any kind.

Failure to abide by the rules can result in suspension of computer privileges or even prosecution.

The Home-School Connection

The home-school connection is at the heart of a successful educational system. Take the time to keep up with what your child is doing at school. Go to parent-teacher meetings. Ask what your child is doing on computers at school. If there is a hookup between your home computer and the school network, be sure you use it to keep up with school announcements and to communicate with teachers. E-mail can make it easier to leave messages with other parents or teachers about the school and your child's activities.

Stay Involved

Developing a state-of-the-art technology program for your child at school takes time and persistence. Expect lots of roadblocks and doubtful colleagues along the way. Set short-term goals you can meet but also expect to be working on achieving your goals for a number of years.

Helping Ensure That All Children Have an On-Ramp

The Public Policy Arena

Elected and appointed officials—on the school board or at the city, county, state, and federal levels—all make many important decisions that influence whether or not children will have access to the information superhighway. These public policy decisions will determine whether new information technologies are available to all children, or primarily to those kids whose parents can afford to personally buy the technology.

State legislators, for example, decide how much of the state budget to allocate for school technology programs. Members of the state public utilities commission determine the community obligations that should be carried out by the companies they regulate, such as telephone companies. Federal officials at the Federal Communications Commission decide how to provide "universal service" in the telecommunications arena, including the discount that schools and libraries will receive. And school board members decide what competencies their graduates should have, such as computer literacy.

Get Involved

As concerned citizens, parents can join forces and have a significant influence on the outcome of these important decisions. There are groups around that can help you find out what decisions are being made and what actions you can take to make a difference. (See Resources section to get started.)

It can be a fun and educational experience to research important issues of the day on the Internet, with your child, then e-mail decision-makers with your thoughts. For example, contact the Federal Communications Commission, using the address listed in the Resources section of this Guide. On their Web site, under "Education and the Internet," there is a good briefing on current issues, key dates, and how your child can actually get involved.

Since schools are the best way to make sure all children have access to technology, one valuable place to start is to find out how your state stacks up with the number of students per computer in school. Chart A shows these averages by state for each of the 50 states. As taxpayers, parents can command attention and should contact members of the state legislature and local school boards to make the case, where necessary, for increased investment in school technology.

Why It Matters

Parents can be an especially powerful force in the decisions made around the information superhighway because children are its first travelers. In addition, if parents joined together—all 63 million of us—your views would matter a great deal to officials concerned with their reelection.²⁷ With clear and vigorous leadership from parents, we can all help assure that decisions will be guided by what's best for children and families.