Educational Innovation and Digital Opportunity Presented to: FTAA Joint Government-Private Sector Committee of Experts on Electronic Commerce 24/10/01, Panama City, Panama Lee M. Tablewski North-South Center University of Miami Public FTAA.ecom/inf/104/Add.1/Rev.1 October 25, 2001 Original: English - Spanish

Current Situation in the United States  Innovative programs exist in the U.S. to broaden the use of informational technology and the Internet in schools and libraries.  These programs have caused substantial growth in recent years (example: 98% of public schools now have Internet access)  There is a need to broaden research and development programs to improve and broaden the implementation of technology in educational environments.

Typical Problems Arising Related to Use of Technology in the Classroom  Some teachers do not have enough time to learn, practice and create lesson plans using computers and the Internet.  Student classroom time does not include sufficient time to use computers in the classroom.  There aren’t enough computers in the classroom.  There isn’t enough good educational software.  There is a lack of support for integrating information technology into the classroom curriculum. Source: national teacher survey, April 2000

Typical Problems Arising Related to Use of Technology in the Classroom  There aren’t enough teacher training opportunities.  Computers available are obsolete or incompatible.  Lack of technical support.  Lack of filters to restrict access to materials or information innapropriate for students.  It isn’t easy to access the Internet.  There is a lack of administrative support.

Typical Problems Arising Related to Use of Technology in the Classroom

Public and Private Programs and Initiatives 1.President George W. Bush’s “No Child left Behind” Initiative stresses the following points: More money allocated to schools for technology Less paperwork and bureaucracy Local standards for academic excellence in the use of information technology Use of matching funds to create access centers in high poverty areas of the country.

Public and Private Programs and Initiatives 2.Department of Education National Goals: I. All students and teachers will have access to information technology in their classrooms, schools, communities, and homes. II. All teachers will use technology effectively to help students achieve high academic standards. III. All students will have technology and information literacy skills.

Public and Private Programs and Initiatives 2.Department of Education National Goals: IV. Research and evaluation will improve the next generation of technology applications for teaching and learning. V. Digital content and networked applications will transform teaching and learning.

Public and Private Programs and Initiatives 3.“Generation 4.“Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology” (PT3) 5.Programs of the Dante B. Fascell North-South Center, Univ. of Miami. Student-centered learning.  Artisan Enterprise Network  Dominican Republic: IT in the Classroom  Brazil: IT and small entrepreneurs

Public and Private Programs and Initiatives 6.National Educational Technology Standards for students and teachers, NETS. Its goals: Define educational standards for students and teachers. Integrate IT into existing programs of study. Technical support Standards for evaluating the impact of IT on students.

Public and Private Programs and Initiatives 7.Parents can deduct from their income taxes the cost of purchases of computers, educational software and Internet access.  $6.5 billion in purchases over 10 years  5 million computers reaching K-12 students 8.Reducing the cost of technology through cooperative purchases by companies, associations, and educational groups (universities, schools, foundations).

Conditions for Effective Use of Technology in Education  Vision with support and proactive leadership from the education system.  Educators skilled in the use of technology for learning.  Content standards and curriculum resources.  Student-centered approaches to learning.

Conditions for Effective Use of Technology in Education  Assessment of the effectiveness of technology for learning.  Access to contemporary technologies, software, and telecommunications networks.  Technical assistance for maintaining and using technology resources.  Community partners who provide expertise, support, and real-life interactions.

Conditions for Effective Use of Technology in Education  Ongoing financial support for sustained technology use; and  Policies and standards supporting new learning environments.

Links from this Presentation  The E-rate program for schools and libraries is described at.  Center for Children and Technology, “Effective Technology Use in Low-Income Communities: Research Review for the America Connects Consortium.” April  Pres. George W. Bush, “No Child Left Behind”:.

Links from this Presentation  U.S. Department of Education Goals:.  Generation  Larry Cuban, Oversold and Underused: Computers in Classrooms (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2001).

Links from this Presentation  For 5-year statistics on Internet access in U.S. schools, see  2000 survey on barriers to teachers’ usage of IT in the classroom:.  For an example of student-centered learning, see.

Links from this Presentation  For the NETS standards, see International Society for Technology in Education, National Educational Technology Standards for Students: Connecting Curriculum and Technology (Eugene, Ore.: ISTE, 2000).  For the U.S. Department of Education’s “The Teacher’s Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet” see

Links from this Presentation  For the PT3 teacher training program, see  For background on the program of tax deductions for parents for IT purchases for their students, please see the webpage of its author:.  Lee Tablewski: