| As parents it is often tempting to leave it to the | | | | work on a computer uninterrupted for the entire |
| schools to teach our children valuable life lessons. | | | | evening. When money is tight the last thing a |
| When issues are uncomfortable, out of our | | | | family may decide to buy is a computer, but it is |
| league, or just plain complex, it seems there is no | | | | quickly becoming less and less of a luxury item |
| good way to present them to a child without | | | | and more of a necessity for kids, especially at the |
| creating a ripple, or sometimes a rift, in the | | | | high school level. Another contributing factor in |
| parent child relationship. Fortunately for Mom and | | | | areas where DSL and cable internet just |
| Dad, this is one of the easier ones to tackle: | | | | don’t reach, inability to access the internet |
| computer literacy. As the world goes, the United | | | | leaves families wondering why they would even |
| States enjoys a high rate of general literacy, but | | | | bother with an expensive machine. Instead of |
| there are still students and adults who are left | | | | settling for dial-up or no computer at all, it may be |
| behind. In a reading world, it is difficult if not | | | | time for such families to look at satellite |
| impossible to imagine how one functions on the | | | | broadband internet. |
| non-reading fringes of society. Looking to the | | | | In many rural and remote communities, families |
| future, one has to expect that the same will | | | | are facing similar connectivity problems and solving |
| happen with computer literacy as more and more | | | | them with satellite internet. A new option in the |
| elements of our lives are put into digital format. A | | | | face of wide coverage gaps offered by LAN |
| child who grows up without books is far more | | | | providers, satellite internet broadband gives |
| likely to struggle with literacy as an adult, and the | | | | families the option to ditch dial-up service for |
| same is true for computers. With the pace at | | | | good, and get into the world of high speed |
| which technology is changing most schools are | | | | internet. Kids will benefit by learning essential |
| unable to keep up, and while they may offer | | | | computer skills in the home that can only be |
| computers, are offering the equivalent of several | | | | taught by getting online. When it comes time to |
| decade old text books as teaching tools for our | | | | write and research papers, create charts and |
| kids. | | | | presentations, and communicate with peers, a |
| While some schools can afford to place | | | | computer should be considered an investment |
| computers in every classroom, at the disposal of | | | | towards the future of any student, and not a |
| every student, many cannot. The same goes | | | | sundry expense. The whole family will benefit |
| double for families. Many schools now require that | | | | from freeing up the phone line with satellite |
| kids complete assignments either using the | | | | internet, and will finally have the ability to |
| internet, by word processing, or using computer | | | | download, upload and transfer large amounts of |
| presentation programs. While this helps the kids | | | | information electronically. |
| learn practical computer skills, it’s unfair to | | | | Give kids all the tools they need to succeed with |
| expect many students to share the few available | | | | internet satellite service. Get in touch with wild |
| computers on campus, and still achieve the same | | | | blue today to see what options are available in |
| marks as those who go home and are able to | | | | your coverage area. |