"Malcolm Sanders" is sitting in a high school computer lab in the suburbs of Colorado, searching the Internet in a butt-beating way. new computer.
His social studies teacher hopes to complete his research project on slavery in a few days, but the child is lucky-
His computer was designed to provide specific information tailored specifically for the 11 th.
The research needs of grader.
The only really difficult thing for Malcolm is (
Not his real name because he asked for anonymity)
His exploration of this pre-selected segment of the web page is constantly interrupted as his attention is drawn to other places.
In a corner of the computer screen, a video shows a group of soldiers attacking the target.
It turned out to be an advertisement in the United States. S. Army.
Click on the mouse in another corner of the screen and a complete-
Screen interactive video of Kodak camera. "Cool!
Announced 16-year-old.
Welcome to the brave new educational world of ZapMe, a company that offers free national servicesof-the-
Art computers and Internet access schools offer students' eyeballs in exchange for business sponsors.
Look at it in the back-to-school night.
Terry Smith, the school's technical coordinator, said ZapMe came to Harrison High School in Colorado Springs like the dew that fell from the sky.
"With our modest budget, we will never be able to buy such a lab," Smith said . ".
Lisa Seed, Malcolm's English teacher, also agreed: "I realized we sold our children to advertisers and I didn't like it.
On the other hand, I was happy to sit in a room with 15 free computers.
Since President Clinton announced his goal of "connecting every classroom in the United States to the Internet by 2000", schools have been scrambling to access the Internet.
However, although the federal government has spent billions of dollars in school technology over the past eight years, classes begin in a few weeks, millions of students still have no access to computers, the Internet and the educational benefits they provide.
Last year, the federal government spent $0. 789 billion on school technology. -
But only about $42 million is spent on classroom wiring. (
$2 is not included.
E-25 billion allocated
Rate plan to help schools get Internet access at a discount. )
According to Joy Kamiko of the education technology office of the Ministry of Education, while the Ministry of Education claims that 96% of public schools are connected to the Internet, the figure is highly misleading.
"'Connect' may mean a computer is hidden in the principal's office or library," she said . ".
"The key is how many students have access to the Internet in each class.
The school's demand for equipment and training is still high.
"More and more budgets --
Public schools are seeking solutions from private companies like ZapMe.
According to San Ramon, California
Since launching the service two years ago, about 6,000 schools have signed up.
So far, 1,800 schools have been connected, representing one.
5 million students
The school got a sweet hardware pack: 15 statesof-the-
Art personal computer with large screen, computer lab with furniture
Fast internet access with printers and satellite antennas.
ZapMe's contract, the participating school must promise that the system will be used at least four hours a day in each school, and that the company will use the system for its own marketing after school.
For students, ZapMe means there is a problem with network access.
The system limits children to about 13,000 educational sites selected by ZapMe editors and forces them to view everything through ZapMe "Netspace", a borderless framework that contains
Screen video from corporate sponsors such as Dell computers and Frito-
Shop and Topps bubble gum.
While children don't seem to mind, many educators and politicians are passionate about such projects.
"Interactive media is the most powerful marketing tool in human history," says Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the e-media education center.
Media organizations in Washington
"It sends a strong message of shaping to young people.
"Teachers and students need to pay more attention than they do," he added . ".
"Now they are playing Russian roulette with our children.
"Of course, ZapMe is not alone in bringing us a commercial classroom.
Over the years, Channel One network,
The school business cable network offers free TV and cable connections to schools in exchange for daily advertising
News programs.
New entrants include McLean HiFusion of Va.
The company has promised to connect schools with students' families through the Internet.
It offers free educational content, shopping links and online portals where teachers can post homework.
At the same time, think wave.
Com allows parents to check their child's daily grades, attendance records and discipline reports--
No knowledge of children-
And targeted advertising every day.
ScreenAd/Digital Billboards in Ontario, Canada came up with the idea of installing screen savers on student computers and a series of corporate ads that take turns.
"This is a part that is not allowed. holds-
No matter where the children are, they must be targeted at them ---
Chester said: "on the Internet, in schools or in the bedroom, he agrees with other critics who believe that these businesses are digital Trojans that businesses control children's buying and spending habits.
David Walsh, director of the National Institute for Media and Family Research, said school children are the largest untapped consumer market in the United States.
"The place to pursue a child is better than being imprisoned for six hours a day.
"Critics are particularly concerned that companies may spy and monitor students.
Take advantage of these two
How the Internet, ZapMe, HiFusion and other companies collect personal data for children, such as name, address, gender, school location, network
Surfing habits, even credit card numbers for parents-
Information that can be provided to external marketers.
The policy prompted critics like Ralph Nader to call ZapMe a "corporate predator" and the "big brother" of the school ".
An unlikely alliance of liberal activists and religious conservatives, including Nader and Felice schlafite, is leading a national campaign to expel the company from public schoolsRep.
George MillerCalif.
With senators.
D-Christopher DoddConn.
And Richard Shelby. Ala.
A recent legislation has been introduced that requires schools to obtain parental permission before companies collect or distribute student marketing data.
Schools that do not comply with the regulations may lose eligibility for federal funding.
"If parents don't want their children to be objects of market research companies in school, they should have the right to refuse," Miller said . ".
Since November, Rick Inatome, CEO of ZapMe, has insisted in an interview that "the company has never collected personal data from students" and that the collected summary data is for "internal use" only ".
Inatome said ZapMe was sensitive to privacy issues and even hired pricewaterhouseworkers to conduct an independent privacy audit of its network.
"I have shifted the focus of the company from business owners and marketing to education," Inatome said . ".
The school contract this fall will reflect the change, he said.
ZapMe's current contract provides that it may require students to provide "personal information" and may "compile statistics and demographic statistics on users'" viewing habits "and use them for distribution.
"The draft of the new contract indicates that some of the wording has been removed but does not make it clear that ZapMe has stopped the online analysis. Arnold F.
Fege, president of children's public advocacy at Washington Education Consulting Group, is skeptical about ZapMe's intentions as he is skeptical about other companies that claim to be themselves
Protect their privacy policy
"Silence is not gold in this case.
"Any school that signs such a contract should insist on a clear guarantee that there will be no online analysis of students, teachers or parents," Fege said . ".
An educator who boycotted the arrival of the company
Ons is Bill dildorf, Business Manager, Public School District, North Clark mass, near Portland, Oregon.
Dierdorf says he receives daily offers from computers, Internet access, e-commerce companies
Mail accounts, course packages, and even mouse pads covered by advertisements.
"ZapMe contacted us with other suppliers but we refused them," Dierdorf said . ".
"We don't think we should sell our kids to the highest bidder.
Our job is to educate them, not to bomb them with advertisements.
Dierdorf says it's usually lower.
The income area like him is not very good.
They are the most enthusiastic customers of ZapMe and Channel 1.
"This is a short-sighted solution that can buy some time.
But in the long run, the school will not be better.
"In fact, these deals could undermine the ability of poor school districts to attract state funds or develop appropriate technical plans.
The danger is that school administrators will become dependent on the company's alms and forget that what initially led them to the begging bowl was the failure to provide enough public funds to the school.
Anyone who has followed the first channel legend will be familiar with the debate about ZapMe.
The daily news program for teenagers has more than 8 million students per day, five times the number of teenagers watching online and cable news programs.
However, the network has been under attack since media entrepreneur Chris Whittle launched the network in 1990. (
It is now owned by Primedia. )
Last year, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions reviewed Channel 1's practice, which was once again attacked by children's groups.
In response, Channel 1 launched a heated lobbying campaign against critics in Washington.
Jeff Balabon, executive vice president of public policy at Primedia, described such critics as "extremist-
Business and
Technical Team and counter
Agenda of capitalism
However, even Balabon has tried to distinguish Channel One from ZapMe and similar companies, saying the channel offers "real news content ".
Although Channel 1 is said to be developingschool ad-
Balabon denied that he would develop Internet programs based on the ZapMe model.
Still, Channel One has partnered with ZapMe and other educational institutions --
A technology company that opposes Miller's parental consent.
"I have never seen a more intense lobbying effort against educational legislation," Fege said . ".
"These companies are taking a hard attack on these bills because they believe that the passage of these bills is the beginning of the end of marketing to children in schools.
"At the same time, this summer, the public school system has made more ambitious efforts to benefit from the Internet.
For example, on June, The New York school board unanimously approved a proposal to generate its own income --
Generate websites and portals.
According to school officials, the portal will become the world's fifth-largest portal and will help pay for providing free or leased laptops to all.
1 million public school students in the city through advertising and e-commerce
Business opportunities.
"Everyone else is making money in the new economy and why schools don't make money," said Paul Wooten, a member of the school board's cyberspace task force . ".
After the new New York Business Union severely criticized the plan
The school is free and while not a teacher, the board promises to protect the children from any direct advertising.
But the coalition asked the school board to postpone a vote on the proposal scheduled for September 13 until it was reviewed at a public hearing.
At Harrison High School in Spring, Colorado, students were basically not impressed by the debate about the ZapMe computer lab.
"Of course, advertising may be distracting," one 16-year-
He added that he did not see anything unusual about being accused at school.
After all, he said, "We see ads wherever we go.
It looks natural.
Another student replied: "Every mouse click on the student has the possibility of being remotely monitored ".
"From the day you get the social security number.