Computers in the Educational Curriculum

Computers in the Educational Curriculum

Over the past 15 to 20 years, technological advances have been phenomenal. Computers are becoming a part of our everyday life and greatly affecting our society. Our educational system is one area that is being greatly affected by technology. An increasing amount of students are incorporating technology into their learning in many different ways. As improvements continue to be made, schools will be able to provide their students with a technologically enhanced curriculum.

Students now have the ability to create more artistic projects through the use of computer programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Publisher. These programs allow students to incorporate pictures, graphs, and charts that add to the overall quality of projects and assignments. Students are also able to put their work on the World Wide Web, for other students to look at and learn about.

With the help of the government, schools’ access to the Internet is on the rise. In 1990, very few schools were connected to the Internet, and those that were had very poor connections. The rate of access in schools began increasing and reached 95 percent in 1999. Also increasing is the amount of Internet access within individual classrooms. . "In 1994, only 3 percent of U.S. classrooms had Internet access. In 1996, President . Clinton announced a set of national educational technology goals, including . providing Internet access to every classroom in the United States. By 1997, the . proportion of connected classrooms had grown to 27 percent. Sixty-three percent . of U.S. public school classrooms had Internet access by 1999, according to . National Center for Education Statistics data (2000)."

I believe that the Internet provides many opportunities for students. The Internet has valuable sources for research and allows communication with other students. By providing each and every classroom with Internet access, it connects students and teachers to each other.

Kentucky is one state where technology has become a main objective of their curriculum. "The student-to-computer ratio is 6.4 to 1; KDE’s goal is 6 to 1. The teacher-to-computer ratio is 1.4 to 1, with a goal of 1 to 1." This is an example of one state that has realized the influence that technology is having on our society, and is trying to integrate it into the student’s curriculum.

One article discusses what classrooms of the future will be like. They believe that students will have their own personal, lightweight appliance that they will take with them from school to home.