By the year 2000, there is a good chance that students' backpacks will not be weighed down with numerous textbooks. Instead, it is likely that the Internet will be the preferred educational tool.

A recent national survey of teachers found that within the next three years the Internet will be equal to or more valuable than print materials and videos in the classroom, currently the most useful resources for teachers.

The research, conducted in March 1997 by Axiom Research Company for the International Food Information Council Foundation, surveyed 2,567 fifth through eighth grade teachers in public, private and parochial schools. The survey explored teachers' acceptance of and reaction to the Internet as a method of teaching science, particularly for topics of food and nutrition. An overwhelming 91 percent of the 500 plus responses considered food and nutrition to be appropriate topics for teaching general science or social science issues.

The survey revealed that approximately 79 percent of the teachers have access to the Internet through school or home, and one-half of those without access expect it by the year 2000.

Currently, science teachers tend to have the greatest access to the Internet from school compared to non-science teachers. "This survey confirms what many science teachers predict will become a rich resource for students and teachers with up-to-the-minute science content and linkages for exchanging information undreamed of a few years ago," said Phyllis Marcuccio, Associate Executive Director for Publications and Membership at the National Science Teachers Association.

The year 2000 seems to be a magical year—it is also the year when President Clinton plans to have schools connected to the Internet. The top two benefits teachers believe they might receive from the Clinton Administration's Presidential Technology Initiative were: "the ability to buy or upgrade equipment" and "more or better access to the Internet."

According to Henry Kelly, Acting Associate Director for Technology, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, "The 'Net' really does define what's possible, and it allows you to bring more into the classroom. It really is the World Wide Web."

In the recent "Report to the President on the Use of Technology to Strengthen K-12 Education in the United States," the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology cited possible uses for the Internet inside the classroom. According to the report, "technology can serve as a potentially powerful tool for teachers, who may use computers and computer networks to: Prepare materials for use in the classroom; monitor, guide and assess the progress of their students; consult with experts in a variety of fields; and exchange ideas, experiences and curricular materials with other teachers."

By using the Internet for curriculum enrichment, teachers can access a multitude of information rapidly. As this study showed, many teachers currently have access to the Internet either at home or in school and, by the millennium, access is expected to increase, making it easier than ever for teachers to plan lessons and use the Internet as a learning tool for students. Then, everyone's load will be a little lighter.