For U.S. educators, there has been one primary source of funds from
the federal government for educational technology over the past few
years. It's part of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, Title 2d, or
Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT).
With the passage of the stimulus bill,
there is new, additional funding in the range of $650M that will be
IMMEDIATELY shared between the 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
The key word there is immediately
- so the time to get ready is NOW. The next few weeks should see a
flurry of activity as state education departments decide exactly how
to do this. If you've been saying -- gee, if we only had the money -- this is your chance. Watch
your state ed tech department closely. This will happen FAST.
Since this is one-time only money, you need to find programs that are self-sustaining and proven, like GenYES and TechYES.
GenYES and TechYES
have been the basis of hundreds of successful EETT projects in thousands of schools. We know the power of technology can empower students, support
teachers, and create a culture of shared ownership of learning at your
school. The question is how to do that quickly and reliably. With GenYES and TechYES you don't have to reinvent the wheel, invent a new model, or design 21st century technology
curriculum from scratch.
GenYES students in grades 4-12 learn
technology skills, project and collaboration skills, so they can teach
teachers, do tech support, and share their technology skills with their
school and community. This can be after-school or during the day. GenYES combines the passion of youth for
technology, the benefits of service-learning, support for teachers in
their own classrooms, and provides all the resources and curriculum to get a program
up and running quickly. GenYES includes an online help desk where
teachers can request help from a GenYES student - whether that means hook up a projector or plan a technology-infused lesson. The really
good news is that the EETT can fully fund GenYES, permanently.
TechYES and TechYES Science are project-based student technology literacy certification programs. Printed
and online materials guide students in grades 6-9 through the
project-process, allowing students to show technology literacy with
real world projects, either academic or personal. One of the NCLB goals
is that all students achieve technology literacy by grade 8. TechYES
offers a way to meet that goal using a project-based philosophy,
because you can't show technology literacy through a multiple
choice test. (TechYES in Action video)
But whatever approach you take to the stimulus funding, we hope you
consider putting the emphasis on classroom technology that enhances the
student experience, allows students control and ownership of their own
learning, and gives teachers professional development that transcends
old "sit and get" models.
Because reviving our economy will be dependent on EVERYONE, including students, working together. This digital generation is ready to step up, and deserves a chance to be part of the solution!
More information on EETT requirements
