First E-mail Account

Why does one get an email account?
I created my first e-mail account in 1996. The sole purpose was to keep in touch with a friend who was returning to The United States. Do you remember when and why you created your first e-mail account?

Technology is often associated with increased productivity, accuracy, quality, timeliness and less work. That is of course if one has grown in an environment where technology was always accessible. At the other end of the spectrum are those who grew up in third world countries or in rural areas, or even worse those who grew up in the rural areas of third world countries; for them the word technology is threatening; it could mean confusion, increased difficulty, a feeling of inadequacy, withdrawal and chaos.

While working on my first and second assignment for this class, I realize that having a tool such as a web page or news letter accessible to students and parents is very useful and practical on the one hand while it could be detrimental on the other.
First it saves parents many trips to school while creating a continuous link between parents and their children's educational institution. Second, It saves the teacher time in answering questions to parents and students, and third, it helps students get more familiar with the class in a more relaxed atmosphere. All these are advantages of having and providing students web access.
However there are questions one must ask: How will I bring students from other cultures up to speed in a fashion that they can take advantage of the wonders of technology and get a fair evaluation on their projects at the same time? Does one consider computer illiteracy a reason for special attention? What tactics can the teacher employ in determining students knowledge of technology in order to get accurate information without causing self esteem problems?