MPC and Network 21 release recommendations for improving Illinois students' technology skills as schools across the state celebrate technology success stories in Springfield.
There are education technology success stories to be found all over the state.
In LaSalle, computer software is improving students' reading and math abilities.
Students in Elgin are using the Internet to access information not normally available to them.
The Prairie-Hills Elementary School District in Markham, though one of the poorest districts in the state, has been a trailblazer with integrating technology into the classroom, including making the district's entire curriculum available only online — helping teachers become accustomed to using technology tools in their daily teaching practice.
With the new federal requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act requiring states to measure and assess the impact of technology in their classrooms, Illinois and its schools will need to make the use of technology a priority in order to receive critical funding. Unfortunately, because of the state's current budget crisis, $49.25 million in state funding for education technology is currently in jeopardy.
"Even with the limited resources currently available to them, schools around the state have been able to make important strides in education technology," said MarySue Barrett, president of the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC). "The unavoidable question we must answer is how to prevent a loss of resources that would jeopardize our ability to meet new requirements and higher standards."
MPC and Network 21: Quality Schools and Stronger Communities have assessed the current level of technology integration in Illinois classrooms and released their findings today in a report entitled Developing an Education Technology Agenda for Illinois. Not surprisingly, increased funding and resources to ensure technology is integrated into classroom learning is among the report's top recommendations.
Other key recommendations at the state, school district and school levels include:
- Adopting education technology goals and measurable
benchmarks for education administrators, teachers and students;
- Improving teacher training to raise teacher skills
levels in using and applying technology in the classroom;
- Building administrative leadership within
schools to enable better understanding of technology use in
schools and districts and encourage more widespread adoption of its use;
and
- Establishing systems to measure and evaluate education technology progress.
On Tuesday, May 7, 2002 in Springfield, students from nearly 140 public schools from around the state will be in the Illinois State Capitol Building for the Tech 2002/AT&T Students for the Information Age program. Using computer workstations set up in the Rotunda, students will show visitors — including elected members of the Illinois State Senate and the House of Representatives — how technology used in the classroom helps them with their schoolwork and improves achievement.
Markham's Prairie-Hills Junior High School and Primary Academic Center are among the participating schools. "The very infrastructure of our district relies upon technology to conduct our core business of educating students. Every aspect of our district in curriculum, instruction, and assessment is inherently linked to technology, " said Steve Kozlowski, assistant superintendent for Prairie-Hills Elementary School District #144. The district has helped spur the effective use of technology through its "high tech classrooms" program, through which teachers in 12 classrooms are provided additional resources to develop instructional activities using technology tools.
Likewise, in Elgin's School District U46, technology tools have opened up a wide variety of learning opportunities for students. For example, third-graders in the district recently used global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) to collect data on how the Fox River is affecting the weather in the area. Students are also communicating what they have learned through multiple channels, ranging from computer-based slide presentations to short video projects. "Technology tools are helping create a seamless integration of students' learning experience, " explained Jim Ege, the district's curriculum coordinator for instructional technologies.
Technology is transforming and expanding the resources and information available to students statewide. In LaSalle Elementary Schools District #122, for instance, many English classrooms have incorporated technology by having students write and edit stories on the computer and do research using the Internet. Shawn LaRette, technology coordinator for the LaSalle district, said, "Much of the software we've invested in has helped improve the reading and math skills of children in the district. The kids are a lot more engaged in and excited about their learning because of these programs and technologies."
Meanwhile, in Waukegan Community Unit School District #144, access to real-time data and the latest news is improving the learning experience. "Essentially, a library is brought into every single classroom with fresh, current information," said Judy Green, school improvement and instructional technology director for the district. Recently, all K-8 buildings in the district purchased mobile laptop labs, allowing more children to access these opportunities.
The Chicago Public Schools, which has recently revamped its approach to technology in its schools, is focusing on ways to integrate technology into classroom teaching and address the human capital component of technology. Cuts to education technology funding at the state level could hinder its plans to bring the benefits of technology to Chicago-area students.
To help address some of the issues raised in the Developing an Education Technology Agenda for Illinois report, Network 21 has convened an Education Technology Working Group that is currently working to ensure that state education technology funding is kept at existing levels so that Illinois does not lose ground in this area. It is also working closely with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to provide feedback on their statewide technology plan for schools.
Said Barrett, "technology is transforming the educational landscape, increasingly being used by education institutions to advance education reform efforts, improve student learning, and prepare our children for the demands of 21st century society and the 21st century workplace. Illinois cannot afford to let our children be left behind."
Network 21 is a broad-based, two-year-old coalition of education, business, labor, civic and civil rights organizations that has organized around the issues of reforming Illinois' school finance system and improving education quality.
Founded in 1934, MPC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of business and civic leaders committed to serving the public interest through the promotion and implementation of sensible planning and development policies necessary for a world-class Chicago region.
The Joyce Foundation and AT&T funded the research for Developing an Education Technology Agenda for Illinois, and Duane Morris LLC Attorneys at Law helped underwrite the production of the report.