The need for computer education in our schools is creating a tremendous problem and a great opportunity at the same time. All schools are struggling with how to integrate technology into the classroom and curriculum. But schools must really step back and study how they can get a return on the significant investment they are making. That return must be measured in terms of increased learning opportunities for our children and the increased skill level of teachers.

School administrators and teachers surveyed nationwide reflect the same general thoughts about the state of computer education in our schools:

• Many schools have made large investments in hardware and software. Some have built computer labs, some have placed computers in the classrooms. Others are just scratching the surface of technology planning.
  
  
• Few teachers are computer literate, meaning they are not comfortable using computers and fully exploiting the power of the many tools they offer, such as databases, spreadsheets, multimedia, graphics, and telecommunications.
• Most schools believe-and rightfully so-that computer technology will increase learning in the classroom.
  
  
• Many schools feel that by placing computers in the classrooms and teaching students and teachers how to use a few applications, computer literacy is achieved and they will realize a return on investment. This is not so.
  
  

Key Components of Technology Plan

Businesses have long since learned that purchasing the hardware and software is secondary to successfully implementing technology. Educators have learned that people do not learn effectively without curriculum. Unfortunately, however, these factors continue to be overlooked in most school technology plans.

The three key elements necessary for successfully implementing a technology plan are:

• Appropriate hardware and software
  
  
• Computer-literate staff
  
  
• Technology curriculum
  
  

If any of these components is missing, then the use of technology is limited and the return on the school's substantial investment in technology is greatly reduced.

To determine whether your school is using technology to its fullest extent, regardless of whether you are in the planning stages or currently implementing a program, ask these simple questions:

• How was the hardware and software selected, and how it is used?
  
  
• What are the technology qualifications of your teachers?
  
  
• Is there a defined computer literacy curriculum? After all, kids cannot be expected to use technology unless they are taught how to use it.
  
  

Selecting Hardware and Software

Faced with the prospect of upgrading or purchasing new equipment for computer labs and classrooms, educators find themselves thrown into an arena full of clashing operating systems, development uncertainties, and software turmoil.

What hardware should schools buy? The answer is simple: buy the market. Buy equipment the way businesses buy it. Measure performance, price, and software stability.

Schools have traditionally favored Macintosh computers. Surveys by International Data Corporation (IDC) and Quality Education Data (QED) report conflicting numbers on how many Macs versus PCs were purchased by schools during the 1996-1997 school year. IDC says 56 percent of computers purchased were Windows-based PCs; QED reports that it was 39 percent. Though Macintoshes are easier to learn on, Windows-based PCs are much more prevalent in the workplace.

Regardless, consider the return on investment when buying today. Schools should analyze their needs for the next three years minimum. They must be sure the platform they purchase can and will supply the software necessary to develop the skills students need to succeed in the 21st century. The purchase of hardware should be a purely practical one, founded in the process of due diligence.

Has your school purchased software recently? If so, you are aware of how overwhelming the process of selecting children's programs can be. Each year, hundreds of new educational titles are introduced into the market, but how can you be sure your school is making the right software purchases?

Most educational programs focus on academic skills such as reading, math, and problem solving. And because the material is presented in an appealing way, children are motivated to use them. Kids can quickly learn the mechanics and terminology of the computer, as well as how to navigate through unfamiliar programs with ease.

It is easy to misinterpret this level of expertise as computer literacy, but it is not. Just as playing notes on the piano is only a first step, learning to run programs is only a small part of becoming computer literate. Computer literacy means knowing how to use the computer as a tool to help create and think, to manage information, to solve problems, to express ideas, and to communicate with others. Computer literacy is achieved by mastering the skills that make the computer such a valuable tool.

This means that, in addition to educational programs, schools must purchase word-processing, graphics, database, spreadsheet, telecommunications, and other software-and teach students how to use them in complementary ways to integrate the unique capabilities of each program into finished projects.

Staff Development

As schools implement state-of-the-art technology plans, the need to improve the technology skills of teachers becomes paramount. After all, the first step to ensuring that students become computer literate is ensuring that staff is computer literate. This is achieved through implementing a structured comprehensive staff development program that builds fundamental computing skills in such areas as word processing, telecommunications, spreadsheets, multimedia and more.

A staff development program should feature individualized attention and hands-on computer activities to guarantee effective learning. Also critical to the success of such a program is instruction on how to apply newly acquired computer skills to classroom integration and to the development of a teacher's own personal lesson plans. Staff development ultimately should empower teachers with the ability to create their own technology-integrated materials rather than simply implementing "canned" projects prepared by others.

One such staff development program is offered by FUTUREKIDS, a leading provider of computer literacy training for K-8 students and faculty. Its 45-hour Teacher Technology Training program is offered to public and private schools worldwide. Teachers who complete the program are even eligible to receive graduate level credits from more than a dozen U.S. universities that have accredited the program.

A Computer Literacy Curriculum for Students

Now that your building is outfitted with the best hardware and software, and your teachers are confident in their computing skills, it's time to implement a technology curriculum specially designed for children.

Following the model offered by FUTUREKIDS, the curriculum should integrate key technology objectives with software specially selected for its academic value and ability to help students gain lifelong high-tech skills. Objectives should be defined by a Scope & Sequence document and cover 10 core technology areas: desktop publishing, telecommunications, spreadsheets, databases, programming, multimedia, applied technology, word processing, operating systems, and graphic design.

A powerful technology curriculum is also grade-and-age appropriate, emphasizing problem solving through project-based, interdisciplinary activities. Just like a math, science, or social studies curriculum, lesson plans should build on previously gained skills to ensure an effective learning experience. To chart student progress, the curriculum should include assessment and grading procedures.

The overall technology plan also needs to be monitored on a regular basis to ensure it is meeting its intended goals. There should be a built-in assessment tool that helps administrators evaluate the developing skills of both students and staff. There also should be ongoing evaluation and plans for equipment maintenance. The operating budget needs to include a line item for upgrading hardware and software, not just for the initial capital expenditure.

One School's Success with Technology

St. Vincent's Catholic School in Los Angeles sought the assistance of FUTUREKIDS Greater Los Angeles to implement a technology plan. Principal Lelana Moran wanted a program that would teach her second through eighth graders how to use the computer as a tool.

Most of her students live below the poverty line, and the only computers they see are at school. They come from a neighborhood where only a third of the students complete high school. Moran knew she had to equip her students with the skills needed to be competitive in the 21st century workforce or they would surely face a bleak future.

St. Vincent's adopted FUTUREKIDS School Technology Solutions last February, with students attending 45-minute classes in the computer lab weekly. In addition to adopting FUTUREKIDS technology curriculum, St. Vincen'ts faculty received basic technology instruction to ensure they became just as computer literate as the students. FUTUREKIDS provided instructors, technical support, and hardware. They worked closely with the school to develop a comprehensive long-term technology plan tailored to meet the needs of the school, and they helped track the results of the program.

And the results have been excellent. Students quickly acquired fundamental skills and were publishing newsletters three months after using the computer for the first time. The computer classes are so valued by the students that almost no one misses school on FUTUREKIDS days. Students take greater pride in their work, and their parents are thrilled. As the teachers became more efficient in their computing skills, they became more creative in developing assignments for their students.

"FUTUREKIDS provided a very cost-effective way for me to deliver technology training to my students and staff," said Moran. "Developing a technology plan on our own would have taken between two and three years and cost a great deal of money. Why reinvent the wheel when a proven solution already exists? FUTUREKIDS took away all the worry. Our technology plan was in the hands of those who knew what they were doing. And those that benefited most were the students."