Investment in educational technology equals efficiency and productiveness

Obama Announces Pledges of $750 Million for Student Technology

Luz Yareni Aceves Martínez

Sociedad y política de Estados Unidos

4 de Febrero, 2014

As part of a program called the ConnectED initiative created by the White House last year, it is expected that over 90% of American students would get beneficiated with technology with educational purposes in the next five years. According to president Obama investment in technology for the American students will allow them to be competitive in the global economy.

What recalls for attention is the announcement of President Obama about the interest of a few American companies that have pledged to invest over $750 millions in this initiative.

A day before the Federal Communications Commission announced that the budget to increase wireless Internet access in public schools and libraries would be over $2 billions, beneficiating 20 million students.

Companies like Microsoft have promised to give software copies to schools (12 million copies of Microsoft Office), computer equipment and even guide teachers so that they can use the tools provided.

Microsoft and Verizon have pledge to provide high-speed Internet to schools; Sprint has compromised to provide free Internet services to “50,000 underprivileged students” over the next years; and AT&T will provide Internet access to middle school students with and investment of $10 million. Another important American company involved is Apple that would give away equipment valued in $10 million to schools.

In a recall for the statistics the director of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, Cecilia Muñoz said that less that 30 percent of American schools are equipped to use Internet tools properly.

Obama made a statement that this year would be “year of action” in his administration. That he would use his connections, and move without expecting congressional support.

I AGREE with the way the U.S. government is willing to support technology for their students because I believe that education is an essential point for any country; all of this is consistent with the “information society” that the United States proposes in their values ​​in order to generate efficiency and productivity in a capitalistic economy, and generate opportunities for Americans to compete in a global economy.

I also agree that in other hand the statement by President Obama to work without the approval of Congress in not essential subjects like this is a sign of the lobbying that the President is doing with a view to the elections in the Cameras, in order to favor his next two years in the office.

In conclusion from my point of view I noticed in this article the importance for the government of the United States and American companies (even if they are the competition) to work together to create a highly skilled society in technology from the very educational sector to enable them to maintain competitive standards with the rest of the global economy.