The Computer Age Has Arrived--But is Everyone Ready?

Size 12, Times New Roman is the blue or black pen of the 21st Century. Many students take for granted the ability to Google a subject or make a PowerPoint presentation, but there are students who are likely to treat these terms as a foreign language.
Students are expected to type papers, and for most students, this is not a problem. Computers are widely available both in the home—most families own at least one—and in public places like libraries or the school computer labs. For these students, typing up a report is not only simple but commonplace.
But this is not the reality for all students. Though it may seem strange to those students with one or several computers in the home, there are families who do not own their own computer, making it difficult for those students to complete certain tasks. According to the 2003 Census Bureau, 62 percent of families own at least one computer. This still leaves about a third of families who do not have computers.
Computers are available in the library before and after school, but factor in things like an after school job and family responsibilities, and students may be unable to utilize those computers when the building is open. Also, if the bus is the only means of transportation these students have available, they can only be at school during school hours. If the students do not have transportation, they cannot utilize the computers available.
Princess Anne recently replaced most of its computers with newer ones. The old computers are currently sent to third world countries, but VBCPS should be able to take the initiative to provide some of these computers for students in our own community. Princess Anne could lend its old computers to families in need on a yearly basis.
VBCPS definitely has the resources and the initiative to get a program like this off the ground. We could lend the old computers out to families in need on a yearly basis—they could return the computers at the end of the school year and reapply for them the following fall. Families who can demonstrate a need would qualify in the same manner as the free and reduced lunch program. By lending these computers, Princess Anne and VBCPS would be helping the community by making the technological burden easier to bear.
Another possible solution is going directly to the source of the computers. HP could donate a number of computers to help families in need. HP would then be taking an active role in helping the community and thereby helping their own image. In the same way, local philanthropists and businesses could also lend a hand. They could donate money to help students who lack access to a computer.
We could also go to the budget to help these students. If Virginia Beach is going to stay ahead of the curve, we should make sure none of our own students are left behind. Money from the budget could go specifically to helping students and their families start out on a more level playing field with students already technologically savvy.
Though these computers would only have basic programs, even the ability to type a document is an improvement. CDs, floppy disks, and flash drives are inexpensive ways to transport work to school to be printed. They could be purchased by the family or even included with the computer.
The technological age has arrived, bringing with it the ability for legible reports and multi-media presentations. Many students are prepared to meet this age and take advantage of personal computers and laptops. But some students and their families are unable to cope with the demand for computer production. If Princess Anne and the community have the resources and the initiative, helping to provide those families with computers will be beneficial to both those families and the community.