The grants promote improved teacher preparation within established institutions and foster more collaboration across disciplines, and among higher education, elementary and secondary schools, and within the private sector. Through these partnerships, higher education institutions will have greater capacity in preparing teachers to use technology in all instructional areas. Where Schools Still Fail Our Children, warn that educational technology is a new arena in which we must ensure that girls do not continue to be at a disadvantage. While the gaps in math and science achievement have narrowed for girls over the past six years, a major new gender gap in technology has emerged. Little attention has been given to how the computer technology gender gap may impact girls' and boys' educational development.
Girls believe that they are less adept at using technology.
Gender-identifiable software tends to be masculine. In fact, women currently earn less than 28 percent of undergraduate degrees in computer and informational sciences. If this gap is not closed, the women of tomorrow will be at an economic disadvantage by 2010, when 65 percent of all jobs will be technology based.