Networking the Classroom

A growing number of schools are rushing to get on the information superhighway. They view the ability to navigate telecommunications byways as vital to survival in the information age. Added impetus comes from school reformers, who say computer networks can link schools to the “real world,” bring vast new stores of information into classrooms and teach children to become lifelong learners. Skeptics see the current fascination with technology as an expensive diversion and warn that the inherent conservatism of schools will thwart the reformers' dreams. The outcome may hinge on whether Americans accept the reformers' vision of a complete overhaul of the education system, and whether society matches its zeal for installing computer hardware with a commitment to train teachers to use it effectively.