Welcome to the world of computers where you can do a research paper for school without even leaving your home. You can e-mail your teacher for homework assignments. Parents can also find out what their children are doing in school without even having to ask that dreaded question, "How was school today?"

We have entered the technological age and with computers now prominent in schools, students as well as faculty members are being turned on to their benefits. Imagine turning on a computer and accessing a database from home or from school. It wasn't that long ago that students had to use those primitive card catalogs. Well, those small wooden drawers are now a thing of the past.

It is also not enough to have computers in each classroom. Now, they are all linked together so that information can be passed from one machine to another at the click of a mouse. Computer users have also noticed that everyone seems to have a page on the World Wide Web, a little space rented out there in cyberspace. Those who aren't familiar with computers may have noticed that "www" and "dot com" have permeated our culture's language.

In Mineola, with the passing of a bond referendum in 2000, the Mineola School District now has a plan in place that will bring the four elementary schools, middle school and high school up-to-date in the area of technology.

For students, the goal of the district's technology plan includes using technology to enhance life-long learning by finding, thinking about and using and communicating information effectively as well as thinking critically and creatively.

For teachers, the goal is to use to technology to create a research environment for students where teachers work as facilitators, mentors, coaches and partners in learning.

For administrators, using technology to enhance efficiency and support learning is the goal of the district's technology plan.

For all parties involved in the educational process, the primary goal is to produce individuals who are effective technology users and learners in the real world.

The technology plan is also broken down by age group. For students in the pre-kindergarten to fifth grade, there will be:

* Two rooms in each school linked or adjacent to the library media centers.

* Library media centers with automated research, online catalogues and circulation.

* Networked teacher presentation stations with computers with large display capabilities in each classroom.

* Four networked student computers in each classroom.

* Telephone communications.

For students in the middle school, there will be:

* An annex to become a computer center with 50 computer stations and a library media center.

* Library media center with automated research, online catalogues and circulation.

* Four student computers in each classroom.

* One video conferencing system.

* Computer science probes/lab devices

* Technology education/occupational education computer lab

* MIDI music studio

* Video production studio

* Telephone communications

For students in the high school, there will be:

* Computer classrooms (labs) on each floor including Model Business Office, graphic production, and computer assisting drafting (CAD).

* Library media centers with automated research, online catalogues and circulation.

* Teacher presentation stations with computers with large display capabilities in each classroom.

* Mobile computer carts for flexible in-class computer use.

* One video conferencing stystem.

* Computer science probes/lab devices

* Technology education/occupational education computer lab

* MIDI music studio

* Video production studio

* Telephone communications

The school district's administration will have:

* Data/communication access via the Wide Area Network (WAN) to all buildings.

* Information management systems; common database access; e-mail and web access.

* Common platform for easy transfer of data using uniform software tool kit: Microsoft Office, FileMaker Pro, Outlook web mail.

* Personal digital assistants for organization and calendar coordination.

* Computer stations for each administrator and secretary.

* Telephone communications