Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
valuing privacy should be of utmost importance.
Last, we need to remember that the success of a
network increases exponentially the more that it
is used. We will all benefit as citizens of the 21 st
century if we understand how to use and value
communication and information technologies.
Most educators would agree that traditional
education practices used in the last century will
not prepare students for the 21 st Century work-
place. Before the turn of the century, the National
Academy of Sciences concluded that the educa-
tion that many students were receiving in science,
mathematics, and technology was not adequate
for a world that was quickly being transformed
by scientific and technological advances (NAS,
1997). Their report indicated that an understanding
of science, mathematics, and technology is very
important in the current workplace. As routine
tasks become computerized, more and more
jobs require high-level skills that involve critical
thinking, problem-solving, communicating ideas
to others, and collaborating effectively. The US
is likely to loose its competitive edge without a
better-educated workforce.
Daggett (2005), in his presentation at the Model
Schools Conference, calls attention to the fact that
education is integral to maintaining the cultural
and structural stability of our society, which is
changing at the global level.
for America - just as it did over a century ago
when the U.S. was beginning its march to world
prominence. (Daggett, 2005, p. 1)
Although much attention has recently been
given to guarantee that the education community
adapts so that students will be prepared to com-
pete in the new global economy, there are many
obstacles to overcome. With an aging teaching
population in the US, there are challenges to
meet the needs of preparing students for the 21 st
Century workplace. In A Statistical Profile of the
Teaching Profession, Siniscalco (2002) indicates
that for countries with large numbers of teachers
in their forties or fifties, there are implications
not only for future teacher shortages, but ques-
tions of how to adapt teacher qualifications to
meet the demands in the rapidly changing area
of information and communications technology
(ICT). Over the past twenty years, the median age
of primary and secondary school teachers in the
US has increased from 36 to 43. In 2000 census
statistics, teachers ages 40 and over accounted
for 60% of the workforce (Population Reference
Bureau, 2002). Coupled with the aging teaching
population is the increase in student enrollment.
In recent years, the enrollment in primary and
secondary schools has reached over 48 million,
the highest since the early 1970's during the peak
enrollment of the baby boomers. This trend has
a significant affect on the student-teacher ratio
and school resources, and in many cases has led
to teacher shortages in many areas.
Today's students are known as “digital na-
tives”- they have grown up using technology such
as computers, video games, cell phones, Internet,
etc. (Prensky 2001a). Because of this, they learn
in a much different way. What does this mean for
us as educators? Our current educational system
was not designed to teach these types of students.
With our aging teaching population, the majority
of the teachers today are “digital immigrants.”
They were not raised in this digital world and at
some point have adapted (to varying degrees) to
… it is imperative for the U.S. to consider which
actions we must take to remain a viable world
presence. More and more, the American public
points to education as the answer . . . or part of
the problem. The Trends in International Math
and Science Study (TIMSS) has shown American
students to be quite average among the partici-
pating nations. The gap between technology and
education continues to widen in America (Moore's
Law is a sobering reminder of just how great the
disparity is) because, as a nation of educators, we
are not adapting to changes in society. Perhaps
the added scrutiny on education in the end will
help create the spark that ignites a renaissance
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