But
technology skills become important long before people look for jobs.
They become important as soon as children begin to learn. In a
decade-long series of studies, the Education Department reports that
students in classes that use computers outperform their peers on
standardized tests of basic skills by an average of 30%. Studies also
showed that students with access to the Internet not only presented
their final projects in more creative ways but also turned in work that
was more complete and had better syntheses of different points of view.
Numerous other studies show that children in technology-rich learning
environments showed more enthusiasm, had higher attendance rates,
developed better writing skills and displayed a greater capacity to
communicate effectively about complex problems. |
SiG’s
School Technology Program enables all schools and libraries to have
affordable access to telecommunications and information technology. The
SiG program, for instance, gives crucial discounts to schools and
libraries, with the steepest discounts going to the neediest
communities. Through this tailored program, we are committed to helping
ensure that all children--regardless of race, income or geography--can
have an equal chance to learn and succeed.
We must give our children--all our children--the chance to succeed in
the information age, and that means giving them access to the tools that
are shaping the world in which they live.
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