October 2003 — Features

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Improving School Performance and Career Preparation With a Wireless Computer Lab

By Ronald Styron Jr., Ph.D., and Fan Disher

  • 363 of 365 students scored 75% or higher on the final checklist, which included computer application skills such as creating and formatting word-processing documents, envelopes, labels and tables, as well as collecting data in a spreadsheet and insetting it in a word-processing document.
  • The average score in "sources of information" increased by 3.9 points and the number of students scoring in the lower two quartiles decreased by 23 students. This data is from the ITED, which is 30% of the high school performance scores in Louisiana.
  • 92% of the students completed their research project and obtained the grade for which they contracted.
  • 97% of the students successfully completed their portfolio.
  • 100% of students completed their career academy pathway.

Integration of New Technologies

The acquisition of lifelong skills is necessary in today's rapidly evolving job market. Several key factors affecting the ability of students to learn and do research on their own were enhanced through the integration of new technologies into the English I curriculum, including encouragement of critical- thinking and processing skills; acquisition, evaluation and application of information technology; relevance and motivation of students; support of collaboration among students; and applied learning.

Some of the foundational skills that were addressed included:

  • Communication - the ability to communicate clearly, fluently, strategically, critically and creatively in society, as well as in a variety of workplaces.
  • Problem solving - the application of knowledge and thinking processes.
  • Resource access and utilization - identification and employment of appropriate tools, techniques and technologies essential to all learning processes.
  • Linking and generating knowledge - use of cognitive processes to generate and link knowledge across the disciplines.
  • Citizenship - working together for the benefit of the individual and the community; being accountable for one's choices and actions.

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Ronald Styron Jr., Ph.D., and Fan Disher, "Improving School Performance and Career Preparation With a Wireless Computer Lab," T.H.E. Journal, 10/1/2003, http://www.thejournal.com/articles/16485

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