Having Internet access at school provides students with access to the global information highway. But for many students there is no home connection to the rest of the world. A new grant will change that.
Accoring to the Portland Press Herald, a $25.4 million federal stimulus grant announced Thursday will be used to build an 1,100-mile fiber-optic network connecting the far reaches of Maine, bringing high-speed Internet to thousands of people who can't get broadband service through cable or phone lines.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke visited the University of Maine on Thursday to tout the funding for the so-called Three Ring Binder project, which represents a fiber-optic foundation for broadband Internet service connecting rural western, eastern and northern Maine.
"This project and the private investment it will spur has the potential to connect one-fifth of Maine households to this 21st-century Internet backbone," Locke said. More on this...
We live in the digital information age. Student knowledge has grown in leaps and bounds. But, restrictive access can hinder the education of students. Schools have begun expecting students to have access to the internet in order to complete homework assignments and to further their education beyond the brick and mortar building.
Rural areas of Maine can now be connected to the rest of the global society. Social networking sites offer multiple important connection benefits for students. The ability to Skype into school, or share projects across the state, the country or the world greatly improves student learning. More on Skype in the classroom...
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