Published August 2001

School uses technology
to prepare kids for future

Our future is with the children.

As we go about our work in presenting Snohomish County as the 21st-century destination of choice for companies in biotechnology, biomedical devices, telecommunications, electronics, aerospace and their manufacturing-related sectors, I try to focus on the importance of preparing our children to be a part of this future.

That’s why I was proud last month to present the Economic Development Council’s first Excellence in Technology Training and Education Award to Meadowdale Elementary School of the Edmonds School District located in Lynnwood.

This kindergarten-through-sixth-grade facility embodies a technology-driven education philosophy that’s geared toward preparing its students to be an integral part of the educated work force our community will need to attract the jobs we desire for our future.

We honored Meadowdale, not for the number of computers the school has, but for the way the staff and leaders choose to use technology.

“Our purpose is to use the latest technology to improve student abilities to read, write and solve problems, not to create a fancy PowerPoint presentation or develop a complex Excel spreadsheet,” school librarian Steve Goodwin told me.

In fact, Meadowdale teachers quickly learned that when technology is taught as a separate subject, kids have trouble absorbing it. When focused on quality learning in all subjects, technology then becomes a vehicle that makes learning fun and effective.

Using publishing software, students hone their research, writing and design skills in producing a school magazine. Dividing into teams, they read a common book, then collaborate in creating visually attractive “book” reports to share with classmates and add to the school’s Web site.

The Meadowdale approach is applauded by Dr. Edward Lazowska, Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington.

By making young children “comfortable” with technology, Meadowdale is helping its students to be better prepared to study advanced computer science when they grow older, he said.

Parents and students often ask Dr. Lazowska, “What’s the best K-12 preparation for a career in information technology?” He says they are surprised by his answer: “As much English, mathematics and science as you can get!”

In addition, every student today, in order to be competitive, must be fluent in information technology. This does not mean every student must be a Java programmer, but rather, every student must be a comfortable and knowledgeable user of IT.

It also is important that businesses and higher-ed institutions launch partnerships with K-12.

The EDC has stepped up to this challenge and will begin measuring the number of business/school partnerships throughout the county. We also will acknowledge the best practices for innovative partnerships. So stay tuned for our report.

Deborah Knutson is President of the Snohomish County Economic Development Council and can be reached at 425-743-4567 or by e-mail to dknutson@snoedc.org.

Related: Lazowska says state education system
is behind the times

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