Home | What's New | Information about Children & Families | State & Local Statistics | Family Involvement | Welfare Reform | Community Systems | Recommended Reading | Links to Related Sites | Who We Are | Site Map

PARTNERS IN LEARNING: TECHNOLOGY LINKS FAMILIES, SCHOOLS & COMMUNITIES   Educators who surf the web can find the latest education research, profiles of model programs and creative student activities at the click of a mouse. Another click sends e-mail instantly across the ocean. This powerful technology that draws us together around the globe can also create and reinforce ties across town or down the block-uniting schools, families and communities in new and exciting ways. ~ Some schools are already exploring the Internet as a way to enhance families' involvement in their children's education. ~ On one school's web site, parents can read students' poetry, peer through a classroom microscope, or learn from a student project on road rage. ~ Several school districts inform students, families and community members about school activities via the Internet. ~ In schools around the country, parents with technology expertise volunteer to train teachers and install software and hardware. ~ In some communities, school corporations and businesses are collaborating online to facilitate job training and placement. The continuing explosion of computer use in the home, at schools and around the community makes such projects possible. More computers are in the home. According to a recent U. S. Department of Commerce report, home ownership of computers has grown nearly 52 percent since 1994-now over one-third (36%) of all Americans own a home computer; and about 19 percent use e-mail at home (a number which has quadrupled since 1994). More schools are getting connected, too. In 1994, just three percent of classrooms and 35 percent of public schools had Internet access. By 1998, 27 percent of classrooms and 78 percent of schools were online. The race to bring schools online is being driven by hundreds of studies showing that technology-rich schools produce impressive results for students, including improved achievement, higher test scores and better student attitudes. These advantages make it imperative that all children and families have access to this vital technology. More communities are making it possible for citizens to go online. In response to this need, libraries, neighborhood centers, public housing facilities, schools and even shopping malls are creating opportunities for people without home computers to get connected. In 1997, 60 percent of libraries offered free public access to the Internet-double the number from a year earlier. By the year 2000, all libraries are expected to be online. Even so, equal access remains a concern. The search for creative solutions is a responsibility we all share. Written by The Family Connection of St. Joseph County, Inc. for Partners in Learning [Vol 2:1, 1998] a newsletter of the Indiana Center for Family, School & Community Partnerships. If you would like more information about using technology to involve families, contact the Center at 317-205-2595 or email: fscp@indy.net Back to Partners in Learning Contents | Return to top | Next Article: Family Access Must be a Priority

Home | What's New | Information about Children & Families | State & Local Statistics | Family Involvement | Welfare Reform | Community Systems | Recommended Reading | Links to Related Sites | Who We Are | Site Map