Educators reveal secrets of reform

Educators reveal secrets of reform

Shared via AddThis

From the Article:
"According to Bradburn, Impact schools, which offer technology tool sets and professional development training, turn at-risk students into bellwethers of success: “You can see [through students’ increased participation and enthusiasm for learning] that these tools are changing things.” Impact schools have “shown increased achievement levels in math and science, more than other schools, as well as a decreased dropout rate,” Bradburn reported. "

Isn't this what all schools are supposed to be like? Shouldn't students find enthusiasm in every class and become success bellwethers? The answer is no, because the at-risk students are at-risk for a reason. They need to leave school to support their families, or no one in their family finished school so they don't have an example to relate to. Fighting your way through the literary classics or chemistry is, of course, a valuable education that provides a solid basis for future learning. But, through the increased exposure to and use of technology, an at-risk student not only finds a subject at school that he can be interested in, but he also succeeds because technology classes are based upon knowledge gained in other classes: math, science and language arts.

Second, an at-risk student who is inclined to leave school to support their family, but who also becomes proficient in the use of technology, and as was the case stated above in North Carolina's Impact Schools, have been participating in professional development. Through professional development sessions, the student is shown that there is life beyond what is learned in the classroom, there is practical application for the lessons you learn. This gives them something to look forward to after finishing school.

Third, and most important, the enthusiasm for technology coupled with the career education helps many at-risk students to see that there is a life possible in doing what they enjoy and getting paid for it. They have the opportunity to see that lessons they are learning and products they are creating are sought after in the "real world" and that there is a practical application to the lessons learned in class.