I can remember many years ago when I first heard about something called Net Day. It was a national movement to bring technology, specifically the internet, into thousands of classrooms so children could benefit from the World Wide Web. I was against it, which may surprise you…
Why was I against Net Day? Because giving a teacher new technology accomplishes nothing and is ultimately a distraction. Teaching teachers how to incorporate new technology into their curriculum, training them how to use it, and ensuring there’s a support program in place which is funded, that’s different.
My perspective hasn’t changed and now I see even more teachers becoming overwhelmed by the aggressive march of technology. They’ve either banned everything from their classroom, harmful or beneficial, or they’ve just given up and let things go wild.
Technology has a positive and negative side. Smart watches, for example, can help a child keep up on emergencies in their family but can also enable 21st century cheating too.
Companies can influence this too: CenturyLink, for example, is a positive. The company has long supported education and the technology that fuels learning. In fact, during the month of May CenturyLink will be announcing grants worth a total of more than $145,000 to 32 teachers across Colorado in support of enhancing the innovative use of technology in their classrooms. They also support food drives, the cool STEM Excellent Awards, and other programs throughout Colorado.
With two girls and a boy of my own, STEM education is important to me because it’s a gateway to avoid gender-based discrimination and to open doors to allow every child to pursue the career they desire, not the one society pushes them towards. You know what STEM stands for, right? Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Music and sports are important too – and all of my children have participated in both throughout their K-12 years. The old dictum of math being “too hard for girls” is bunk and it is efforts like STEM programs that are going to change that perspective for the next generation.
Do I think either of my girls are going to become scientists or engineers? Not at this point, no. But do I passionately believe that they should have the option and should be able to decide based on what they want to pursue? Oh, heck yeah. So props to CenturyLink for its support of the Teachers and Technology program and the many STEM initiatives they help fund throughout the United States. You can learn more about CenturyLink’s work here: CenturyLink Community Foundation.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of CenturyLink. The opinions and text are all mine.