Popular Technology Degrees
Information Technology for Everyone
April 12, 2007
by
Mary Hobson
Technology Schools Columnist
Everyone should be able to partake of the emerging, technology-driven knowledge economy. To this end, the U.S. government encourages the use of information technology in education, business, health, government and our everyday lives. But for a truly global economy to flourish, connectivity is needed in poorer economies too.
Imagine being able to communicate with people all over the world--not just the rich nations, but all nations. Helping developing countries get access to computing and the Internet doesn't just benefit them. Through information technology, they develop new economic growth, leading to markets with real purchasing power. They become self-sufficient, and they become trading partners across borders. This is a case of growing the economic cake, so there is more for everyone.
Universal Access to Information Technology
This aim of universal access to information technology requires an effort similar to the one that created libraries all across the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. This movement raised literacy levels to the point at which education could begin to give most people skills to earn a good income, and powered the American industrial economy.
However, most poor economies cannot hope to afford information technology for any educational purposes at the moment, much less develop technology schools for education in computing. To change this situation, Nicholas Negroponte, one of the founders of MIT's Media Laboratory and a venture capitalist, has launched the $100 Laptop Project.
The aim of this project is to provide developing countries with affordable computers for education. These computers have to run in the absence of a reliable power supply, and must be cheap but durable. A number of different technology schools are already researching cost-effective ways to produce such laptops. Negroponte says that once he has sufficient orders--more than 5 million--production can begin, although the early cost is likely to be around $150.
The benefits of this kind of development are are many. Demand for technology will continue to rise all over the world, with a subsequent increase in computer related jobs in the U.S., where much of the expertise is situated. As education levels rise, so countries will grow economically, increasing the demand for all kinds of products, and expansion of the global economy often means expansion of all the individual participating economies.
Technology School: Get Access to a Great Career
The U.S. is in a strong position to take advantage of the global demand for information technology--which means you can get on board. With an information technology degree or computer science degree, you could have opportunities for careers in information technology all over the world.
So start today and find the
information technology degree that is most interesting to you. You will be able to study subjects that really interest you, and after graduation, there will be many job opportunities waiting. Who knows, you may become a part of the $100 Laptop design group--or come up with the next hot invention yourself!
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About the Author
Mary Hobson is the Head of IT School at a Polytechnic in New Zealand. She also works as a freelance writer.
