Classroom WebSites Can Unify and Divide

Teachers are at the head of the class when it comes to Web sites, according to a
study from Homestead Technologies, Inc. The research indicated that 42 percent
of the teachers surveyed already have their own site, and 71 percent believe
that most will have a Web site to assist with their teaching within five years.

By Robyn Greenspan

"For teachers, a Web site is becoming as important as a blackboard," said
Justin Kitch, CEO of Homestead Technologies, Inc. "Every teacher will have their
own Web site within five years given the valuable benefits they bring to
schools. Today, the Internet is used so often by students to communicate that
teachers need to have a Web site if they want to engage their students through
one of their favorite and most familiar mediums."

Teachers cited "communication with students" as the most popular reason for Web
site building at 73 percent, and "communication with parents" followed with 51
percent. More than half (52 percent) of educators found that a classroom Web
site saves them time, and 21 percent indicated that the Internet helped increase
their interest in their jobs. Forty-one percent believed the site helps them
meet technology standards, while more than one-quarter (27 percent) said that a
classroom Web site enables them to teach about technology.

Teachers have reported distinct advantages to extending the classroom to the
Internet, such as providing resources, like an online library, to the students;
uploading assignments to the Web site; and building an interactive community
with parents and students.

Homestead cites Britt Wallberg, a first grade teacher in Illinois, as an
example of improved educational possibilities: "My classroom site allows me to
connect with parents of children in my classroom. Many parents work, and are not
able to come into the classroom. They can go online, see pictures of the
classroom and examples of class work. They can also find out the spelling words
their children need to know, our class schedule, and class procedures. I also
receive many emails from parents who prefer this form of communication regarding
their children."

While classroom Web sites are helpful to many students, they provide limited
benefit to children without home computers, or those caught in the digital
divide. Disparities between the economically disadvantaged and the more
privileged could be exacerbated, setting up situations where children are less
likely, instead of more likely, to learn.

As a result, many schools and public libraries provide computer labs to allow
universal accessibility, but federal and state funding is needed to bridge the
accessibility gap. Digital Divide Network provides resources on finding public
computers, as well as information on research and funding.

The U.S. Department of Commerce addressed the digital divide in a report on how
Americans are using the Internet. Based on data from a September 2001 U.S.
Census Bureau s Current Population Survey of approximately 57,000 households and
more than 137,000 individuals, the report found that computers in schools
substantially narrows the gap in computer usage rates for children from high and
low income families.

Not surprisingly, the research indicated that those with lower incomes were
more likely to access the Internet at public libraries than those with higher
incomes. Just over 20 percent of Internet users with household family incomes of
less than $15,000 a year use public libraries. As household income rises, not
only does the proportion of public library Internet users decline, but also the
percentage of Internet users without alternative access points also declines.

With almost all (90 percent) of children between the ages of 5 and 17 now using
computers, and 75 percent of 14-17 year olds, the Internet can become their
most valuable educational tool — as long as they have access.