Rendell announces technology funding
WILKINSBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell on Wednesday announced the selection of the first 103 schools that will create Classrooms for the Future and transform the high school experience for 117,000 students through technology. Among those schools was Southeastern Greene School District, which was allocated $344,563.
“We cannot prepare the technology generation to be the innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs of the 21st century just using chalk and blackboards,” Rendell said during his announcement at Wilkinsburg High School in suburban Pittsburgh. “Classrooms for the Future will not only help to boost achievement while our students are still in high school, but they will be primed for success in college and beyond, especially in fields that require advanced skills with computers and technology.”
Classrooms for the Future is Rendell’s initiative to put a laptop computer on every high school English, math, science and social studies desk and to provide teachers with a multimedia work station and intensive training to enhance education. Rendell’s 2006-07 budget provided $20 million for the first year of Classrooms for the Future, which the governor intends to expand statewide.
An additional $6 million in state and federal resources will be used to train teachers and administrators on how to best harness the power of technology to enhance classroom discussions, lessons and projects. The program will provide a total of $200 million over the next three years so every Pennsylvania high school may participate.
In addition to the laptops, each classroom will be equipped with a Smartboard and projector, Web cams and other video cameras. Teachers and students will also have access to imaging software. The average award for school districts was $252,000, which will provide more than 35,000 laptops for the first year of this initiative.
On average, eight students have to share every Internet-equipped computer that’s available today in Pennsylvania schools.
Additionally, the state is ranked 37th in the nation for the number of teachers who use the Internet in classroom instruction.
Last spring, in its “Technology Counts 2006” report, Education Week gave Pennsylvania a “C” for its lack of access to, and incorporation of, technology in schools across the commonwealth.
One hundred eighty-nine school districts applied for funding in the first year of Classrooms for the Future. Districts were selected for participation based upon their plans to use technology to change teaching and improve student learning.