Technology to play an integral role in redesigning education

Columnist Hank Bounds
 

The draft plan for redesigning education for today’s workforce that I discussed in my last column is a comprehensive strategy that will impact all facets of education. Rosetta Richard, chair of the Mississippi Board of Education, has appointed three board members, including Sondra Caillavet, Rebecca Harris and Charles McClelland, to serve with her on a board committee to study the plan, which is pending approval by the Mississippi Board of Education and funding.

Schools serve as a mirror of the society around them. Just as technology has played an increasingly important role in the way our businesses operate and how we live our everyday lives, it has become an important tool in the classroom. Technology will play an integral role in the implementation of this plan.

Because technology helps us to manage, store and retrieve information that is essential to our jobs and our lives, children must acquire these skills in school today to be prepared for an even more tech-savvy world in the future. In addition to learning about technology, students also utilize technology in learning all other subjects.

Technology plays an important role in the classroom and beyond the classroom. In addition to facilitating the teaching and learning process, technology also enables schools to efficiently and effectively manage student and staff information. In addition, it is an important professional development tool for teachers and administrators.

A Discovery Task Force recently examined the direction of the current seventh and eighth grade discovery courses and how we could best serve the students of Mississippi to prepare them for the 21st century workforce. Based on their recommendations, career and computer discovery courses will be converted to Information and Communication Technology I and II.

The high-quality, research-based seventh and eighth grade ICT curriculum is aligned with industry, technology, 21st century skills and academic standards. Eighth grade students will have the opportunity to attain a technology industry certification called IC3. The certification exam will serve as the state test for students on technology.

The ICT I course will be piloted in select districts in the 2007-08 school year. The following year, ICT I will begin full phase-in implementation, while ICT II will be piloted. These courses will also serve to meet the technology literacy requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act.

We will also expand the courses offered through the Mississippi Virtual School Program. Currently, the virtual school program offers students 31 courses, including core curriculum and Advanced Placement courses.

Online instruction can provide solutions to a number of challenges facing Mississippi schools, including teacher shortages, lack of curriculum options, particularly in rural areas, and a lack of options for acceleration. In addition to providing additional educational choices for students, online courses can often be used to resolve class scheduling conflicts.

Technology can also provide professional development opportunities to teachers, administrators and other staff members in a very cost-effective manner.

For example, Project Stream is an online collection of professional development videos for Mississippi teachers and administrators. It is currently running in the pilot phase and will be in full production mode by the beginning of the next school year. A cost-saving tool for sharing vital information in a timely manner, Project Stream will save thousands of dollars in travel money for each event and allow administrators and teachers to remain in their districts and classrooms. Through Project Stream, they can now receive information at their desktops through a live video stream.

The E-Learning for Educators Initiative is a five-year collaborative effort involving nine state departments of education, public broadcasting stations and the Education Development Center Inc. The nine participating states include Mississippi, Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia. It was designed to provide effective professional development that leads to gains in teachers’ content knowledge, improvements in teaching practices and improvements in student achievement. The multi-state collaboration allows the states to define common standards, share resources and support programs.

Teaching technology, using technology to teach and utilizing technology to improve teaching skills are all important facets of the redesign plan and will play a crucial role in its success.



Dr. Hank M. Bounds is state superintendent of education.