Key to Document

Although this is a web document, it will sometimes be referred to
as a 'paper' in the sense that it is a research
project. Also see Key to Document.











Dede, C. Testimony to the U.S. Congress, House of Representatives; Joint Hearing on Educational Technology in the 21st Century.
Although much of the literature focuses on the implementation of technology in the class-
room in general, a good
part of such information
can also be used to argue for or against the Internet
in particular. Only information that is specific to the Internet will be presented here, which may mean that some ideas of authors were revised in some ways to fit the case of the Internet.

This project will explore the pros and cons of implementing the Internet in primary and secondary level education. The paper argues that the recent popularity of the topic has to do with broader issues than just the network's implementation in the classroom. The sociological importance of the topic lies in the broader framework of questions raised by the Internet debate.

Considering the possible effects of the Internet on today's educational system is important because it is a topic that is discussed daily these days by people in both the private and public sectors. Articles are published in national and local newspapers. There has been a visible boom in websites dedicated to the phenomenon as well as in the publication of school homepages. The popularity of national Net Day has been proof of the widespread interest in getting elementary and secondary level public schools connected to the Internet in the U.S.

According to Dede, the United States is now characterized by a knowledge-based economy. To survive in the world economic system, every nation draws on its particular resources to occupy a special niche in the market. The United States can no longer depend on cheap labor or easily available natural resources and therefore has to rely on the technological expertise that it has developed. To use such resources at an optimum, it is important to have an educated citizenry that is capable of working in the new workforce, the information sector, to create, improve and utilize the new types of technologies. This paper will explore what role the Internet may be able to play in fulfilling these needs and goals.

Eszter Hargittai,
The Pros and Cons of
Implementing the Internet
in the Classroom