MAKE BETTER USE OF THE INTERNET (11-2003)

The age range of people who use computers and the Internet runs
the gamut from pre-school children to octogenarians. But
according to a recently-released report by the Department of
Education, if you want to learn more about how to use a computer,
ask a kid.

The Department of Education's report shows that 90 percent of
all school-aged children regularly use the computer, with more
than half regularly using the Internet. In fact, 80 percent of
16-year-old students use the Internet.

That is a considerable increase over just a few years ago. And
one reason may be that in 2002 more than 99 percent of all public
schools had Internet access, compared to only 35 percent in 1994.
The majority of kids get online at home, too.

Another reason children are becoming more computer savvy at an
earlier age is because younger kids tend to have younger parents.
And younger parents are more likely to embrace new technologies.
Kids don't have to adapt to new technology; they have grown up
with it. So it becomes a natural part of their world.

The reasons that children access the Internet are as varied as
the content. Three out of four students use the Internet to do
research for homework assignments or for classroom projects. More
than half also use it to send e-mail or to chat live with their
peers from all over the world. 

For older adults, it's almost surreal to sit down at the keyboard
and communicate instantly with 10, 20, or 100 friends, relatives,
and strangers living all across the U.S. and around the globe. It
certainly makes the world a smaller place.

But for kids who grew up with that technology, there's nothing
all that fascinating about it. It's just a part of everyday life.

Yet there are several gaps when it comes to accessing computers
and the Internet. The age gap is one. Older adults, even some
teachers, have been slower to embrace the Internet. Some teachers
who have computers in their classrooms make little use of them
because they have not been effectively trained in their use, or
because they remain intimidated by them.

There are also gaps in access based on ethnicity. While the
majority of both black and white students access the Internet at
school, most blacks do not have access at home. And an even fewer
number of Hispanics have home access to the Internet.

Some government training programs, such as Job Corps, make
effective use of computers and the Internet to train
disadvantaged students in academics and some vocational trades.
Some students at the Atterbury Job Corps Center in Edinburgh even
use the computer lab to take high school courses and earn their
diplomas.

But despite the remarkable increase in the number of young people
and adults who use computers and the Internet, the technology
still remains underutilized, especially by schools. 

You can use a computer to pay your taxes and then file them
online. You can shop online, check your bank balance online, and
even pay your bills online. Students can register to take the SAT
online and then check their scores. But most schools still are
not set up to let parents access students' grades or permanent
records online.

Some schools are using the Internet to keep parents updated about
their kids' performance and to improve student access to a range
of textbooks, advanced courses and test preparations. But while
most teachers have e-mail addresses, the most prevalent means of
communication between teachers and parents remains in the form of
handwritten notes. And almost all students continue to turn in
their homework written on a sheet of paper. 

Electronic communication is still new. It takes a long time for
new methods to replace age-old ones. But given enough time,
students, parents, and teachers will ultimately begin to make
full use of the capabilities of the Internet and the computer
age.