Part One The Promise: An Educator's History of the Internet
1986 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Summary
The 1993 Using Technology to Support Education Reform (ED1) report offers a nice backdrop presenting our country's largely unsuccessful efforts integrating pre-Internet technologies into education. The White House releases its Technology for America's Economic Growth: A New Direction to Build Economic Strength initiative in February, which called for, among many other things, a commitment to technology in education and the networking of K-12 schools, colleges and universities to "a broad range of information resources."
The Reinventing Schools: The Technology Is Now (NAS) symposium in May brought together almost 100 speakers to discuss technology in education. From the Preface of the website:
"Opinions differ on the likely role of technology in the future of education. Some people, pointing to the limited effect of past technological innovations on education, argue that information technologies will have little influence in the face of the massive social problems that have beset our schools. Others argue that today's interactive technologies are fundamentally different than past technologies. These new technologies not only have the potential to transform education, according to this view, but will change society in ways that make educational reform all but inevitable."
The new technologies mentioned here specifically center on the promise of the Internet. From the section The Network Revolution:
"The Internet, which is now rooted largely in institutions of higher education, has tremendous potential to change K-12 education. Yet today, despite promising starts in some schools, that potential remains largely untapped. As the network's focus shifts from institutions to individuals, ubiquitous access will become a practical tool for education both at home and in schools."
In September of 1993, The National Information Infrastructure: Agenda For Action (WH2) extolled "a seamless web of communications networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics that will put vast amounts of information at users' fingertips" and the "best schools, teachers, and courses would be available to all students, without regard to geography, distance, resources, or disability" (Executive Summary).
"Students and teachers can use the NII to promote collaborative learning between students, teachers, and experts; access on-line "digital libraries"; and take "virtual" field trips to museums and science exhibits without leaving the classroom." (Tab C: Benefits and Applications of the National Information Infrastructure - Lifelong Learning)