Technology is Engine for Improvement

Technology is allowing education and government officials to improve services to citizens.

“Those things we dreamed about, because of technology, we are realizing the dream,” said Baton Rouge, La., Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden. “Technology will be the engine that drives this country to be” the best.

 Holden and others shared their experiences with improvements through technology in a workshop: The Secret About the Future: A discussion about communities and economic prosperity through education.

CSG joined with the Center for Digital Education to bring the roundtable discussion to the spring meeting.

Holden, who is in his third term as mayor, detailed how technology has allowed Baton Rouge to move forward and address the needs of a city that saw 250,000 people move there in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Holden said many areas, from education and health care to public safety and transportation, have improved because of technology. “We’re building a city which places importance for technology to be an important part of our lives,” said Holden.

His was just one example shared with attendees at the afternoon session.

Alabama

In Alabama, 32 percent of students attend rural schools. Many of those students don’t have access to Advanced Placement courses.

In response, the state developed ACCESS—Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators & Students Statewide—to address that problem. Advanced courses are offered through videoconference, which provides Web-based courses in areas not available before to many areas of the state.

In 2003, 99 AP exams were given for every 1,000 juniors and seniors in the state.

“It was dismal,” said Rep. Cam Ward.

The budget allowed the state to invest $10.3 million of the state education budget for ACCESS, and was supplemented by a $999,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

By 2010, the state will have the capability to offer Web-based courses to 45,000 Alabama students.

“No child in Alabama will ever say they don’t have access to these classes,” Ward said.

Delaware

Delaware is developing a virtual school that will allow students to take a wide variety of courses not offered in their district.

E-Learning Delaware offers five clusters and is actively trying to develop more, said Sen. David Sokola.

Tom Jarrett, chief information officer for the state, said providing the technology students need has been a challenge. Delaware has met that challenge through public-private partnerships.

Michigan

The question in education from 1890 to 1910 was whether the state would give every student a textbook. Now, said Eric Peterson, former associate executive director of the Michigan School Business Officials, is whether every student has a computer to use in learning.

Leslie Wilson, director/president of Michigan’s Freedom to Learn and One-to-One Institute, said the program has shown some best practices in getting computers in the hands of students.

West Virginia

When computers and other technology are placed in classrooms, there should be a purpose.

West Virginia first lady Gayle Manchin said the state’s work with the 21st Century Foundation is helping the state to shape classrooms for this century.

“A tool without a task is almost like providing junk food for students,” Manchin said. “If you’re not improving student achievement, what have you accomplished? When you put tools in the classrooms, there is a purpose and accountability of what we do.”

She said West Virginia is poised to be a leader in providing 21st century skills and strategies for its students, and is building a quality of life people are looking for.

But the work with technology isn’t all West Virginia is doing.

Joanne Tomblin, president of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, detailed what her school is providing to its service area.

The college has connected to sites throughout its service area to deliver high school and college credit courses to students. In rural West Virginia, Tomblin explained, it’s often difficult to find teachers for classes such as Spanish and some advanced math courses.

Those classes are provided through the virtual system offered by Southern.

In addition, faculty members do podcasts, where lectures are placed on the Web for students to download.

--Mary Branham Dusenberry