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.
