Emerging Consensus on Need For Technology Literacy Challenge

EMERGING CONSENSUS ON NEED
FOR TECHNOLOGY LITERACY CHALLENGE

Educators, business people, parents and students all agree that integrating technology into classrooms curricula will increase the educational achievement of the nations K-12 students. In the last several months, a number of reports have confirmed this fact:

KickStart Initiative. Recently, the President's Advisory Council on the National Information Infrastructure (NIIAC), composed of 36 distinguished Americans and co-chaired by Ed McCraken, Chairman and CEO of Silicon Graphics and Delano Lewis, President and CEO of National Public Radio, concluded in its report, KickStart Initiative: "that the children educated in this country can learn more and that technology can be the key to higher levels of achievement." The KickStart Initiative collected an impressive set of empirical data, and reported:

McKinsey and Company. McKinsey and Company, one of the world's top management consulting firms, examined the costs and investments required to enable schools to integrate all four pillars into America's schools by the year 2000. McKinsey found that:

Education Leaders Agree. Numerous other reports agree that we can bring the same spirit of innovation and technological advance that has already made our workplaces the most advanced in the world in the new information age to every classroom in America. These reports were published by:

Business Leaders Agree. For the past twelve months, the President and Vice President have been meeting with business, education, parent, and student leaders to discuss how to improve teaching and learning for all students through new information technologies. The meetings have included:

In meetings with the President last September and October -- along with another meeting just this week -- business leaders have applauded the Administration's Technology Literacy Challenge. They believe that nothing is more critical for the future of our country than enabling our children to learn new basic skills, and nothing has more potential for providing them with this competitive edge than applying the full potential of information technologies to improve student learning in every classroom in America. Here is some of what these leaders have said on education and technology:

Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney:

"I share with everybody here the enthusiasm for a public-private partnership to enhance education, enhance educational tools, and create an exciting new curriculum for our schools."

Jerry Levin, CEO of Time-Warner:

"For those of us who are operating in the digital domain... what this really means is a commitment on the part of the Administration, and certainly by the private sector, to bring about a real pedagogical revolution... Most of all [this is about] making the student the central architect of his or her education in a way we haven't seen before... You will find the private sector, and all of the companies here, totally committed to this effort."

Ed McCraken, Chairman and CEO of Silicon Graphics:

"Research studies and anecdotal evidence from pioneering schools show dramatic advances in learning with proper use of technology."

Louis Gerstner, Chairman of IBM:

"Technology has transformed the American workplace. It can also transform classrooms and the way schools operate."

Bill Gates, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corporation:

"The [information] highway will alter the focus of education from the institution to the individual."



Technology Literacy Challenge

Technology Improves Student Performance

Technology Literacy Challenge

Education Technology Roundtable

Changing Teaching and Learning

The Christopher Columbus Story

Remarks On Education Technology Initiative

Emerging Consensus for Technology


President and First Lady | Vice President and Mrs. Gore
Record of Progress | The Briefing Room
Gateway to Government | Contacting the White House | White House for Kids
White House History | White House Tours | Help
Privacy Statement

Help

Site Map

Graphic Version

T H E   W H I T E   H O U S E