Dateline: 02/26/97 - by Walter H. Horowitz, Vice President, NoteSys, Inc.
In his 1997
State
of the Union Message, President William J. Clinton said, "As the Internet becomes
our new town square, a computer in every home -- a teacher of all subjects, a connection
to all cultures -- this will no longer be a dream, but a necessity. And over the next
decade, that must be our goal."
Follow the link above if you want to read the address or if you have a Real Audio player installed, you can listen to the 1997 State of the Union Address (no longer available online).
I believe the only way that we can insure that every student has a computer is through our educational system. Without government participation, the computer will be a valuable resource unavailable to the poor. Let me know if you think there are other viable alternatives. In this space, I plan to monitor the government's actions to make good on this goal.
Education was one of the major themes of the State of the Union message. In it there was a reference to an address on October 10, 1995 entitled Remarks by The President In Announcement of Technology Learning Grants. In that address, President Clinton sets a goal to "put a computer in every classroom, and a computer whiz at every desk."
The U.S Department of Education awards grants and contracts to schools, school districts, researchers, and others to implement new methodologies, research effective practice, and implement educational reform. Information about what is available and how to apply can be found at its web site.
For background on the President's goals, see "Fostering the Use of Educational Technology: Elements of a National Strategy" by Thomas K. Glennan, Arthur Melmed, a report published 1996 by Rand, a nonprofit institution headquartered in California.
