techSteps, Comprehensive Tool for Teaching Technology Literacy, Now Offered by Pearson
Primary Topic Channel: Pearson Education
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nov. 2, 2009 –Today at the State Education Technology Directors Association's (SEDTA) Leadership Summit and Education Forum 2009, Pearson announced that it has added techSteps from SchoolKiT to its comprehensive offering of 21st century learning tools. Built on the National Education Technology Standards for Students (NETS*S), techSteps is used by schools to plan, teach and assess K-8 student technology literacy in an integrated, 21st century context.
In conjunction with the forum, SETDA is conducting a Showcase for U.S. Senators at which West Virginia representatives will present their impressive success with techSteps. The showcase will feature the ways that states are using their American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants for NCLB Title IID, Enhancing Education Through Technology.
techSteps furthers the agenda of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), the leading organization advocating for the infusion of 21st century skills into education. Long a member of P21, Pearson recently celebrated its commitment to this national education organization when Senior Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Kathy Hurley was elected chair.
"P21 is committed to ensuring that every child is prepared for the 21st century with skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, innovation and global competence," said Hurley. "The curriculum and assessments that techSteps provides puts P21's agenda into action in states and schools around the country."
In June 2008, West Virginia school districts began using techSteps to develop and assess K-8 student technology literacy. The nearly 50,000 students from 50 districts who participated in this project completed and were assessed on one or more math, science, language arts or socials studies project during the school year, putting them on the path for building critical 21st century skills. For example, of the approximately 4,392 eighth grade students who participated in the program, 97 percent successfully demonstrated grade-level technology proficiency.
"In West Virginia, we want all of our students to develop technology literacy in the context of 21st century instruction. We believe that the best way for students to acquire these skills is in the context of their day-to-day learning, practicing using technology across all subject areas," said Brenda Williams, Executive Director, West Virginia Department of Education Office of Instructional Technology. "techSteps has provided our schools and teachers with the tools necessary to promote technology literacy and 21st century learning. Our results demonstrate the ways it is preparing students to face the challenges of our increasingly complex world."
The techSteps curriculum includes a set of six electronic activity books for each grade level. Each book presents a meaningful math, science, language arts or social studies challenge, and then shows students how to use digital tools to explore and complete the task at hand. This enables students to develop technology literacy in a way that is both integrated and systematic. Assessment and reporting options are available to meet teacher and district needs. For example, each learning activity includes a classroom assessment rubric tied to the technology literacy standards.
"For more than a decade, SchoolKiT has developed solutions that help schools make technology an integral part of teaching and learning," said Adam Smith, CEO. "We are particularly proud of how techSteps is allowing schools to use technology to benefit student learning in every classroom. Through this new partnership with Pearson, we can now work with even more states and school districts to increase technology literacy for their students."
About SchoolKiT
SchoolKiT knows that technology skills are important, but also understands that 21st century learning is about much more than that. It is about students learning to use technology systematically and creatively to think critically and solve problems.
School districts that partner with SchoolKiT ensure that all of their teachers integrate technology in meaningful ways to improve student learning and academic results.
Together with school districts, SchoolKiT takes a twofold approach. By implementing the company's technology literacy and integration activities, districts see immediate success -- in the classroom -- where it counts. And using SchoolKiT's online professional development solution, teachers become critical users of technology, able to design lesson that really do improve student learning. For more information, visit www.schoolkit.com
About Pearson
Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education and education technology, provides innovative print and digital education materials for preK through college, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher professional development, career certification programs, and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the industry. Pearson’s other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information about the Assessment and Information group of Pearson, visit http://www.pearsonassessments.com/.
For more information, press only:
Adam Gaber, Pearson, (800) 745-8489, adam.gaber@pearson.com
Wendy Lienhart, L. Wolfe Communications, 630-920-0182, wlienhart@lwolfe.com
Lisa Wolfe, L. Wolfe Communications, 773-227-1049, lwolfe@lwolfe.com
###
Quick Links
Visit the following special content centers, and discover how technology is helping educators every day.
Online Learning
Thousands of K-12 schools across the nation are turning to online-learning providers for help with credit recovery, enrichment opportunities for gifted students, and for providing core curriculum classes in areas where there isn't enough demand to justify keeping a teacher on staff.
Stimulating Achievement: Your Guide to Ed Funding
Learn how to make wise spending decisions and keep track of school needs as stimulus funds become available.
Preparing for a Pandemic
With fears about the H1N1 virus, commonly known as "swine flu," putting school leaders on high alert, we've compiled this collection of news stories and additional resources to keep you up to date on the latest developments in this critical story--and to help you deal with the crisis in your own schools.
Measuring 21st-century skills
Graduates who enter the workplace with a solid grasp of 21st-century skills bring value to both the workplace and global marketplace.
Anytime, Anywhere Professional Development
When teachers are confident in the curriculum they teach, students will become more engaged in lessons and will learn more.
21st Century Libraries
The internet has given students an incredibly vast world of up-to-the-minute resources, including nearly limitless outlets for research and investigation. But many students turn immediately to the untamed internet when faced with a research assignment, often overlooking the value in a virtual library solution.
Placing Reading Power in Students' Hands
All students deserve an equal education, but sometimes language barriers or learning disabilities leave some students lagging behind and struggling to understand words or concepts.
Successful Video Production
Knowing how to produce, edit, and distribute video gives high school and college graduates a valuable and much-in-demand skill.
Meeting the Needs of Students with Autism
It's estimated that one out of every 150 children in the United States has some form of autism, and that number is escalating at a frightening pace.
Igniting and Sustaining STEM Education
As the workplace changes and becomes increasingly global, today's students must be educated with a 21st-century mindset.
Securing Student Laptops for Safe Learning
New software makes it possible for companies to activate web-based communication with laptops, tracking their position and having them returned if they are stolen.
