October 2003 — Features
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Improving School Performance and Career Preparation With a Wireless Computer Lab
The first component, technology education, targeted computer application skills such as the many aspects of word processing (e.g., formatting and creating tables). Various elements of those skills were incorporated into assignments created by English I teachers in conjunction with a computer resource instructor. The assignments were designed to promote computer literacy, strengthen writing ability and allow career exploration simultaneously.
In the second component, career research and exploration, library research techniques critical to students in all curricular areas were emphasized. Given today's abundance of available information, it is extremely vital that schools steer students away from memorization and toward the utilization of multimedia sources in the processing of information. In addition, it is becoming increasingly necessary for students to be able to research and organize all forms of electronic media. Use of the Internet, multimedia and traditional print resources in a classroom provides students with an opportunity to access more information at a faster pace, serving as a link among all educational disciplines.
During the third component, application, students came to recognize the usefulness of the computer as a research tool. They used it to apply their newly acquired computer skills toward the production of a research project. Students selected their topics relative to their career paths or interests. The assignment was coordinated with the assistance of the career orientation teacher and their advisor. The research project also contained a written component demonstrating the knowledge of all aspects of the writing process.
Project CREATE Results
Data from Project CREATE not only documented student success relative to career selection and preparation, but also documented overall school-performance score improvement. As a result of this project, Mandeville High School's Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) scores rose an average of 2%; thus, contributing to an overall increase in the school's 2002 performance score. The following data shows the success of the project:
