Ed Tech Statistics Did you know…

General Statistics Adults without high school diplomas have 1/4 the level of home computer ownership that college grads have. 60% of well-off kids use computers at home. 5% of the poorest kids use computers at home. Only 5% of rural households with annual incomes of less than $10,000 have computers. When the poor gain access to technology, they use it for self-advancement and are the most enthusiastic netizens, using it for employment, educational classes, and access to government reports. National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation,

Web Users Nearly 77 % of all Web users are between the ages of 18 and 49. Users between comprise 39% of the Web universe, the highest composition of any demographic group. In comparison, only 30 % of the US population are % of all Web users have college degrees, whereas only 24% of the U.S. population have a college degree. Relevant KnowledgeRelevant Knowledge, February

Internet and Teens 73 percent of US teenagers aged between 12 and 17, or 17 million people, use the Internet. Three-quarters of online teens say they would miss the Internet if they could no longer use it, while almost half say being online has improved their relationship with friends. Nearly a third say it has helped them make new friends. The top five online activities for teens are: , surfing for fun, visiting entertainment sites, using instant messaging (IM), and researching hobbies. Only 31 percent have bought online. About 13 million teens, or 74 percent of all online teens, use instant messaging (IM). Only 44 percent of online adults use IM. Nineteen percent of teen IM users say IM is now the main way they communicate with their friends. Pew Internet and American LifePew Internet and American Life, June 20,

Internet and Teens Fifty-five percent of parents with online teens say learning how to use the Internet is essential for their children’s future success, while a further 40 percent say it is important. Just over 60 percent of parents say they have rules about Internet use, and the same proportion check to see what sites their children visit. Seventy percent have the Net-enabled PC in an open family area in their home, and 41 percent have installed filters or content controls. Forty-five percent of parents are worried that the Internet leads young people to engage in dangerous or harmful activities, and 40 percent have had arguments with their children about the Internet. Pew Internet and American LifePew Internet and American Life, June 20, 2001

College Seniors Virtually 100 percent of college seniors use the Internet. Nine out of 10 use on a daily or frequent basis, but only 13 percent send hand-written letters. Four out of five say they go online to get news and information, while only 57 percent turn to radio, and 55 percent to TV, for the same reason. Even fewer read print newspapers or magazines. Over three-quarters of those polled said the Internet had brought them closer to the rest of the world, while only 23 percent are concerned about online privacy and security. Harris InteractiveHarris Interactive, May 28,

Internet in School New data from the US Department of Education shows that 98 percent of all public schools in the US now have Internet access. The data, from the Department’s National Center for Education Statistics, shows that Internet penetration in US public schools has grown from 35 percent in 1994, 50 percent in 1996, 78 percent in 1998, and 95 percent last year. The digital divide in education seems to be almost closed, according to the report. The Center measured poverty levels by the percentage of students in each school that were eligible for free lunch programs. National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education Statistics, April

Teacher Readiness National Center for Education Statistics,National Center for Education Statistics, July

Teachers Lack Time 84 percent of teachers in the US say that computers and Internet access improve the quality of education Two-thirds say the Internet is not well integrated into their classrooms Almost half of teachers say the Internet has become an important tool for teaching over the last two years, but half or more of the teachers polled use the Internet at school for less than 30 minutes a day. NetDayNetDay, March 29,

Teachers Lack Time Over three quarters of teachers said their main reason for not using the Internet was lack of time. Lack of equipment, speed of access, and lack of technical support were also raised as barriers to increased use of the Net. Most teachers do not use the Internet to communicate with students, parents, and other teachers, for organizing activities, for lesson-building, project work, or updating lesson plans. NetDayNetDay, March 29, 2001

Girls and Tech Girls and young women in the US are dissuaded from pursuing careers in the high-tech industry by violent electronic games, dull programming classes and the public image of the IT industry as a "nerdy", antisocial world. According to a new study from the American Association of University Women (AAUW), less than 28 percent of computer science graduates in the US are women, down from the 1984 high of 37 percent. Only 9 percent of engineering graduates are women. Only 20 percent of IT professionals are women. American Association of University Women, Jul American Association of University Women

Internet Improves Attitude The Internet is a positive force in children’s education, according to the findings of a new survey from the US National School Boards Foundation, Grunwald Associates and the Children’s Television Workshop. Over 40 percent of 9-17 year old schoolgoers say the Internet has improved their attitude to attending school. Almost half of children in households that are connected to the Internet go online primarily for schoolwork and 53 percent of adults in these households go online for the same reason. National School Boards FoundationNational School Boards Foundation, March 29,

Internet Improves Attitude Parents say that using the Internet has not significantly affected their children’s other activities. Almost all report that their kids spend the same amount of time reading, playing outdoors and spending time with their families. 37 percent of parents say their children watch less television since they were introduced to the Internet. Parents continue to be concerned about unsupervised Net access for children. Pornography, undesirable adults and hateful content top the list of Internet-related parental worries. National School Boards FoundationNational School Boards Foundation, March 29, 2000