Technology for Learning

I recently participated in a forum on IT Workforce Planning. The statistics are critical: enrolments in computer science are declining while demands for technical staff are growing. The unemployment rate for Canadian IT workers in 2006 was 0.8%. And with the baby boomer bubble about to burst into retirement, the supply and demand won’t change anytime soon.

The situation has significance for K-12. Much of the discussion centred around two issues:

The problem is complex and requires responses from all sectors – government, private sector, education.
The problem needs broad recognition and broad solutions.

Specfiically, K-12 needs to do a better job of educating students, parents and teachers about the career possibilities within technology. This includes ensuring the computing curriculum includes contemporary computing topics. Keyboarding for credit? Surely not at the senior grades. K-12 computing curriculum may be off the mark.

True computer literacy is not the same as computer comfort. Students are comfortable with computers when they can use the technology in support of and to demonstrate their learning. But that does not include understanding how the technology works, how to solve problems using technology, designing interfaces, trouble-shooting complex networks. Where is the computing science class that mirrors the other sciences?

K-12 has an important role to play in engaging students in this science so critical to our future success. In a world that is so highly dependent on technology, we need to find the keys to motivate learners to follow this path.

What’s happening in your district? Do you have a story to tell?