Academics must be augmented by global awareness, technology skills

By Hank Bounds
State Superintendent of Education
June 26, 2006

There are many education advocates who stress the three “R's.” “Reading, writing and arithmetic” are certainly critical elements of the foundation necessary for all learning. Mastery of these skills is crucial for students to build upon. However, it is also important that students learn all the other things that create good employees and good citizens.

One of the goals of the Redesigning Education for the 21 st Century Workforce in Mississippi plan is to prepare Mississippi high school graduates academically as well as equip them with learning and thinking skills, global awareness, information and communications technology literacy, and life skills. There are several strategies that can be utilized to accomplish this, but one thing they have in common is that they require us to think beyond the traditional classroom wall. Service learning, cooperative learning, project learning and the WE WORK Virtual High School can all be employed to accomplish this goal.

Service learning gives students the opportunity to learn problem-solving skills, gain a sense of responsibility and become aware of the world beyond the familiar people, places and situations of their daily lives. By participating in service projects, students learn from one another and those they serve in addition to the teacher and gain a feeling of belonging. Too often, high school becomes a lonely place for students who haven't found others who share their interests. Service learning can often be the foundation for friendships that, in turn, helps students stay in school.

The same can be said of cooperative learning. In cooperative learning, students work together to achieve a common goal. Students are not just thrown together and told to accomplish a certain task. Rather, cooperative learning is highly structured to ensure that students work as a team, participate equally in projects and can be judged individually on their efforts. Students walk away from a cooperative learning experience with invaluable lessons in working well with others that will benefit them regardless of what job or profession they choose in the future. I think all employers would agree that working cooperatively is essential for their organizations to succeed and thrive.

Project learning has similar benefits to service learning and cooperative learning. However, although it can be, it does not have to be a service project or a team effort. Project learning is student-centered and allows the student to address real-world problems, often utilizing technology to do so. By being involved from start to finish, students are engaged in a way that the traditional lecture method of teaching cannot accomplish. By “owning” the projects, students learn to make decisions, be responsible and how to meet and achieve goals and objectives. Through project learning, students begin to view their teachers not just as teachers, but as coaches and facilitators. The stronger a connection a student feels with teachers and the school, the more likely he or she is to stay in school and graduate.

The purpose of the WE WORK, which stands for Workforce Education With Online learning for Real world Knowledge, Virtual High School is to give students the opportunity to complete online courses related to 21 st Century Skill Development, technology development and technology enhancement courses. The WE WORK Career Center will serve as an extension of the high school guidance counselor's office. The WE WORK Media Center, which will be available to students during alternative hours, will feature a total of 30 computers with Internet Access. Through the WE WORK Media Center, students who qualify will have the opportunity to take community college and university online courses for credit, but would not be eligible for financial aid. To help with this, a WE WORK Mississippi Foundation will be developed to provide students with online course scholarships for community college and university online course credit. This will allow students who would not be able to afford college credit while still in high school an equal opportunity to advance their learning.

All of these types of learning help students learn valuable lessons that will serve them well throughout their lives. In addition, they provide solutions to some of the problems that cause students to drop out of school. They may not represent your typical learning experience, and maybe that is what makes them so effective.

(Contact: Caron Blanton, APR, Director of Communications, 601-359-3706 .)