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Four years ago I attended my daughter’s fifth grade ‘Back To School’ night and I remember being surprised by the ambivalent attitude shown towards the Internet by some of the school faculty. Although Whiteboards and computers were prominent in virtually every classroom, there was a definitely feeling that encouraging young children to explore the World Wide Web was something to be discouraged.
Of course, that was when Wikipedia and other online resources were regarded as arbitrary and unreliable, and social networks were thought to be the domain of predators and schoolyard bullies. How times have changed. In just four short years, the Internet has become an invaluable teaching tool, and most educators are just as likely to be updating their Facebook pages as their teenage students!
These days it is rare for my daughter to be able to complete her daily homework assignments without resorting to the computer. Whether it’s research for science or social studies, or using collaborative tools for class projects, the Internet has become as familiar to today’s students as a calculator or backpack.
Perhaps the biggest turnaround is how most schools’ now embrace social networks. Of course, we’re not talking about Facebook or Instagram but instead the flourishing ‘learning management systems’ like My Big Campus, Twiducate or the open source option Moodle. On these sites, students can safely connect with their teachers and with each other, sharing problems, developing solutions, and tracking academic progress.
More than ever, the home is becoming an extension of the classroom, with both students and parents expected to contribute to this ‘always-on’ educational environment. For parents, that means providing a fast and reliable Internet service. As with every other online amenity, the out-of-school learning experience is only as good as the home network connection.
Perhaps that’s why more and more families are turning to Verizon FiOS. With variable tiers to suit every family’s needs and budget, FiOS is the gold standard when it comes to speed and reliability.
So, along with notepads, binders, graphing calculators and erasers, add a dependable Internet connection to your back to school shopping list. In the digital age, it’s a ‘must-have’ for all successful students.
