[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                TEACHER TECHNOLOGY TRAINING ACT OF 1997

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 25, 1997

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Teacher 
Technology Training Act of 1997 offered by my friend and colleague, 
Representative Morella, who heads the Science Committee's Subcommittee 
on Technology. I am proud to be a sponsor of this important legislative 
initiative.
  Hooking schools to the Internet and improving access to technology 
are crucial first steps towards ensuring our Nation's students can 
compete in the increasingly global economy of the 21st century. 
However, access to technology is only half the equation. Making sure 
teachers and students are able to do more than admire the brand new 
computers in their classrooms and actually use them is the second half 
of the equation. The Internet is truly the world's first global 
teaching tool, but we will never realize the power and potential of the 
Internet as a teaching tool until we equip teachers with the necessary 
training to know how to optimize its use in the classroom.
  The Teacher Training Technology Act is a legislative initiative 
introduced in Congress geared solely towards funding for teacher 
training in technology. Many Federal programs have money available for 
teacher training, but there are frankly too many claims and demands on 
these funds to accommodate teacher technology training. Included in the 
President's Technology and Literacy Program, is a proposal set aside of 
funds for technology in education, but a glaring defect is that no 
funds are focused specifically on technology training for teachers.
  This legislation recognizes the technology training deficit and 
provides for both in-service training for existing teachers, and pre-
service training for new teachers, so that both groups will be getter 
prepared in the classroom.
  Just as a dictionary cannot be used as a resource by someone who is 
unable to read, computers in our classroom are only useful to the 
extent that teachers are able to understand their operation and apply 
this know how in the classroom today and tomorrow. I ask that my 
colleagues support this bipartisan legislation.

                          ____________________