Computers in the Classroom.

This article presents information on the introduction of computers in the public school classroom and follows the progress of classroom computing through the subsequent decades. In the early 1990s, computers were rarely used in the classroom, but by 2009, 93 percent of all US public schools had computers with internet access in the classroom (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). By 2019 essentially all US public schools (99 percent) had broadband internet connections (EducationSuperHighway, 2019). The traditional desktop computer of the early 1990s has also been largely replaced with laptops, smartphones, and tablets with wireless connectivity. There has been wide recognition that teacher professional development is an important component of integrating technology into instruction. Several national studies provide data on the use of computers and the Internet in schools. While there is a clear digital divide between traditionally disadvantaged students and more affluent students in terms of computer access at home, children's access to computers at school is much more evenly distributed, a fact often cited in pleas to policy makers to continue funding educational technology initiatives. In the 2020s media reports indicated not only the pervasiveness of information technology in schools but increased efficiency in teaching and enhanced learning outcomes. Despite these, questions continue to be raised about the possible negative consequences of overreliance on computers in the classroom.