Velma Knighton

“I think it is very important for them to have access to technology to shrink that digital divide because in this day and time, technology is full force. Technology has been around for a long time, but if we don’t get them access to technology now, I don’t think they will ever be able to catch up.”

Pierre Clark

“Our students have to have access to technology because that is what the world runs on today. Technology is what drives business, what drives connectivity, what drives all the things we do. You can’t be in this world, 2011, without being connected in a big way to technology. Our students have to be aware of that, and they have to have the tools for that. They have to be able to use the tools in jobs, government and business.”

Sy Bounds

“I think if our young people don’t have the right tools, especially when they leave grammar school, it’s like sending a soldier into battle with a babe gun. I’m in touch with three youngsters now who need top computers. They are going from high school to college, and trust me, that is a big deficit when they go in and don’t have those tools.”

Gerald Grayer

“I think it is extremely important because technology is the future, and a lot of the opportunities available to some people in other communities are more afforded. They have access. They have it in the libraries and their own homes. In this area it is needed. It’s definitely needed. They need to have accessibility, not only in schools, but also in common areas. If there are large apartment complexes, they need to have it built in there too.”

Jim Waller

“Well, it’s critically important because technology is the direction the country is moving in. It’s the direction the world is moving in, and without technology, we can’t communicate at all. We can’t communicate with each other. We can’t communicate with the world. We can’t educate ourselves. We can’t educate our students. We can’t educate the public. Without that you are lost to humanity.”

Dr. Shirley Scott

“I think it is important because it gives the kids a chance to have hands-on experience. They learn better to actually get online instead of the old traditional way of just picking up a book and trying to learn. What I found out as principal of Farrady Elementary School is that the kids grasped the information much better than just actually looking at a book. They enjoyed it. It was enriching for them to be able to go on [the Internet] and research and find different things.