I looked at the survey information at http://www.neweconomyindex.org/states and believe the results to be true and accurate.
Do these types of surveys upset me? Most of the time. But I know that technology is not what makes Mississippi a great state. Mississippi is a great state because of the warmth and hospitality of its people.
Yes, Mississippi moves a little slower and as Southerner's we may talk a little slower. But, we do get there and we do get it said. Remember the tortoise and the hare.
To me, the last line of the article is probably more relative to Mississippi than any part of the survey. It reads - "The study's authors find this result unsurprising, as the Midwest, Plains and the South have economies more firmly entrenched in agriculture and non-technical enterprises."
It is probably true that currently, Mississippi is more firmly entrenched in agriculture and non-technical enterprises.
So what do we do if we want Mississippi to be a high tech state? We find ways to bring technology into the agricultural communities and non-technical enterprises. We train workers on the uses of technology and show them how technology can be used to help them be more productive. We continue to bring technology into the classrooms so we and our children, and our children's children know the power of technology prior to graduating college and getting a job.
>>> "Larry S. Anderson -- NCTP" <lsa1@ra.msstate.edu> 09/11/99 12:36AM >>>
Well? What do you say about this? Is it true? Is it accurate? What
can we learn from it?
Does it upset you to read things like this? If so, why? If not, why not?
What *specific* things can we do about this?
Now, give serious thought to your responses; don't just fire off an
answer. You might even want to write some ideas in your journal before
you email them to the class.
Larry S. Anderson, Ed.D. LSA1@Ra.MsState.Edu
Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Technology & Education Voice: (662) 325-2281
Founder, National Center for Technology Planning Fax: (662) 325-7599
Mississippi State University
Chair, Council for Education Technology State of Mississippi
My personal home page URL-- http://www2.msstate.edu/~lsa1
NCTP web page -- http://www.nctp.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 14:43:53 -0500
From: Allen Lind <Al@ihl.state.ms.us>
Subject: Massachusetts Leads High Tech States; Mississippi Trails
All,
The following article can be found at
http://www.stateline.org/story.cfm?StoryID=43016 and _The _New
_Economy _Index study it references can be found at
http://www.neweconomyindex.org/states.
Al
`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Massachusetts Leads High Tech States;
Mississippi Trails
By Joseph Giordono, Staff Writer
stateline.org
Tuesday, August 03, 1999
WASHINGTON -- Massachusetts, not California or Washington, leads the
nation in adapting to and taking advantage of the national transition to a
high-tech "new economy," according to a study by the Progressive Policy
Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank associated with the centrist
Democratic Leadership Council.
"The State New Economy Index" takes into account 17
economic indicators ranging from the number of high-tech
jobs as a percentage of the workforce to the number of
.com addresses registered per state.
The study ranked Mississippi last overall.
It says the combination of a bounty of high-tech jobs,
excellent universities and a prominent role in the global
economy propelled Massachusetts to the top spot.
The top ten states: Massachusetts, California, Colorado,
Washington, Connecticut, Utah, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, Delaware and Arizona.
The bottom ten states: Wyoming, Iowa, South Dakota,
Alabama, North Dakota, Montana, Louisiana, West
Virginia, Arkansas and Mississippi.
"The New Economy is a knowledge and idea-based
economy where the keys to wealth and job creation are the
extent to which ideas, innovation, and technology are
embedded in the state's economy," the study said.
The study is the first attempt to look at how globalization,
the Net and information technology are affecting economic
activity on a state by state basis, report co-author Robert
Atkinson said.
In addition to ranking the states, the study offered
suggestions on improving states' standing in the high-tech
economy.
"In the New Economy, states need to shift their focus from
job creation to income growth and expanded economic
opportunity," said report co-author Randolph H. Court.
To do this, he said, states should focus on technology in
public education, support for R&D, availability of
job-specific skills training, good quality of life, and quality
government, rather than simply providing corporate tax
subsidies and incentives.
The states best prepared for the high-tech economy have
more in common than a large number of high profile,
high-tech firms, according to the study.
These states also tend to have highly educated workforces,
internationally-oriented manufacturers, solid "infrastructures
for innovation," and dynamic business environments creating
large numbers of jobs in fast-growing companies.
Among the study's findings:
Colorado ranked first in workforce education, a
weighted measure based on the number and
proportion of state workers with advanced degrees,
bachelor's degrees, associate's degrees, or any
college course work.
Nevada ranked first in "gazelle" jobs, which the study
defines as jobs in companies with annual sales
revenue that has grown 20 percent or more for four
straight years.
Surprisingly, New Mexico ranked first in the value of
initial public stock offerings of companies as a share
of gross state product.
Alaska ranked first in both education technology and
percentage of adults with Internet access at 52
percent. Oklahoma ranked last in education
technology; Mississippi, with only 17 percent of
adults having Internet access, brought up the rear in
that category.
Washington was tops in digital government, while Illinois ranked last.
The measure took into account utilization of digital technologies in
offering public services and the ability of information technology to
spur economic growth.
The study breaks down the 17 ranking economic factors into 5 categories:
knowledge jobs, globalization, economic dynamism, the digital economy,
and innovation capacity.
Regionally, it found the strongest states in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and
Pacific states: 17 of the top 20 states in the Index are in these four
regions. In contrast, 17 of the bottom 20 states are in the Midwest, Great
Plains, and the South.
The study's authors find this result unsurprising, as the Midwest, Plains
and the South have economies more firmly entrenched in agriculture and
non-technical enterprises.
The study can be found online at: www.neweconomyindex.org/states
* stateline.org 1999
you are free to reprint this story in full or in part
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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