In Washington FCC officials are giving $9 million to schools so students can get access to internet outside the classroom. The program called "Learning On the Go", will pay for wireless connections for laptops, smart phones and other devices that students can take with them after school ends. The funding will help students who are in low-income families access to books, homework assignments and many other materials for school. The program will help students in 14 states for 2011-2012 school year.
The funding will be for elementary and high school students in New Orleans and wireless cards for high school boys from low income families in Philadelphia and Smart-phone access for students with ADD in Canton Ohio. The money will go to Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, California, New Mexico and Iowa.
I think it's a great idea to help students because now teachers are asking for papers and projects that students need access to the internet to do. With low-income families the last bill they need to pay is for the internet, so I think it's a great way to help students get access to laptops and internet without having to stay at school or go to the library to do "homework". I'm sure there will be some negatives to the program but in all it sounds like a great idea.
Link
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110308/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_techbit_fcc_wireless_education
This sounds like an awesome plan! Of course with everything today there is going to be a cost, but schools need wireless internet for things like you mentioned such as those projects and uses for different classroom assignments. I'm glad people are realizing the true reason behind the creation of the internet, as a resource, not just for social networking! :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a good news that school get wireless net. It is very convenient for people to access Internet no matter where they are in the school. My home University cannot do it now. We just have a small computer lab that all the students in this universtiy can share. It is so sad to the students. Students must go to the lab earlier than others. First come first served. We hope we can access the Internet in everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThis is great to hear in the education world. We need more access in schools to have Internet. We are blessed to have this much access in this country.
ReplyDelete