FUTUREKIDS
“Giving Educators Technology’s Edge”
Why leave Teachers Out of the Equation?
Teachers today face challenges never before contemplated. They must prepare students for a world that practically moves at lightspeed. That means graduating students equipped with 21st century skills. Technology know-how that satisfies a tech-ravenous job market. Technology skills that are going to help graduates excel. Responsibility for students’ success lies with educators - all too often, training-neglected teachers.
In fact, teachers have benefited little from investment in their technology training. Futurekids delivers a powerful professional development solution to this tech training deficiency. In short, we give educators technology’s edge. And in the process, we enhance student achievement and reduce district costs.
These Statistics Prove the Need for Futurekids.
National Staff Development Council (NSDC) Standards assert that 30 percent of schools’ technology budgets be applied to teacher professional development. Still, training in many districts is minimal. Sometimes, non-existent. Rarely integrated into core curriculum.
The technology investment in schools over the last decade was $70 billion. Yet, a recent study shows that only 7% of schools have teachers capable of integrating technology into their lessons. A disappointing 36% of schools surveyed provided no technology training. And only 29% provided one to 14 hours of training per year.
So the very population that could make technology pay off for today’s students is being ignored. Or at the very least, under-served and under-trained.
A recent survey shows that educators who receive at least
32 hours of technology training addressing integration
over a three-year period said they felt prepared to use technology in the classroom. Only 12 percent of those
surveyed said they had received that amount of training.
“Teacher’s Tools for the 21st Century: A Report on Educators’ Use of Technology,” National Center for Education Statistics, September 2000.
Our Solution Creates Results.
Our vision is to bring 21st century skills to teaching and learning. We do this by helping teachers use technology in lesson planning, student assessment and reporting as well as through integrating technology into curriculum. Working directly with educators, we:
· Assess the current technology infrastructure,
· Evaluate current administration, teacher & student technology competency levels
· Plan and create a program based on needs and help secure necessary funding
· Train teachers in technology integration
· Mentor teachers during the implementation
· Process and tailor courseware to meet specific needs
· .Assess results
Futurekids operates globally in 65 countries bringing teachers from around the world together to share best practices and collaborate. At the same time, we manage an online Gateway that opens a world of possibilities. Expands communication resources. Accesses classrooms around the globe. Provides hundreds of lesson plan templates. Nurtures an understanding of world cultures. Introduces students and teachers to peers and colleagues internationally.
Futurekids has developed the national model
for computer literacy education.
Dr. Paul Heine, Associate Dean
Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
We’ve Learned by Doing.
History and Philosophy
Since 1983, Futurekids has undertaken a global mission toward computer literacy for children and educators. Our first efforts were in learning centers and, today, we’re focused on schools. Futurekids is bringing 21st century tools and skills to education in the U.S. Our company is vital, comprised of education specialists, training experts, software wizards and partners and directors who are deeply committed to education. Futurekids believes - knows - that top caliber professional development is the key to realizing technology’s promise for school children. It is, in fact, what we know and do best.
Armed with rich experience providing professional development on a global scale, Futurekids has a deep commitment to providing educators with the tools and resources they need to integrate technology into the classroom. We work at all levels, interacting directly with districts, schools and educators to see technology integration through to an effective end.
We know how to artfully manage the transformation from low tech to high tech. And our sleeves-rolled experience equips us to match the unique needs of schools and school systems to the specific solution that will work best. We design for the here and now, but we plan for the long-term. Our solution will continue to deliver results - improved student achievement - and will consistently provide much valued return on investment.
While our mainstay is teacher professional development, we also take into account the many different components that feature in a project’s success, from planning to assessment. We know education and what it takes to implement real change. In short, we’re results-driven and we have a proven track record of achieving results. Our product line has been extensively tested and can easily be integrated with a school’s classroom environment. What’s more, the Futurekids solution is both effective and cost-effective.
Futurekids 5-Step Solution
· Pre-Assessment
· Planning and Grant Writing
· Training
· Courseware and Mentoring
· Assessment
Case Study
Los Angeles Unified School District
A study conducted in the Los Angeles Unified School District showed that educators participating in the Futurekids Professional Development program improved their computer literacy by an impressive 69% over the control group. A 2002 research study performed by Boise State University determined that the Futurekids solution also has a positive impact on student performance and overall GPA.
Model Technology Integration School Program: Futurekids, Inc.,
Final Report by Todd VanDehey, M.S. and Dr. Carolyn Thorsen, Boise State University, May 2002.
Picture How America Gets to
21st Century Students.
Working directly with educators, our goal is to overcome the “disconnect” that typically exists between a district’s investment in technology and its ability to integrate that technology into teacher preparation and instruction. Through a 5-step solution we encourage a school environment that supports professional development and, ultimately, leads to student achievement of state standards.
We Never Get Ahead of Ourselves.
Pre-Assessment
Futurekids makes a critical assessment of a school’s technology landscape before we make a single recommendation on how to improve it. Working closely with the technology leadership team, the Futurekids Mentoring Team begins a painstaking analysis of each school’s technology profile. The end result is a comprehensive assessment that covers all bases. Infrastructure, including connectivity, hardware and software investment. Prevailing tech literacy of students, teachers and administrators. The school’s learning goals and how those goals measure up against state requirements for computer literacy and academic literacy.
Futurekids is not just transforming schools.
Futurekids is transforming education on this planet.
Dr. David Thornburg, Director, The Thornburg Center
We’ve Already Given It
Serious Thought.
Planning and Grant Writing
In concert with Futurekids consultants, clients create an initial technology plan that addresses critical solution components. Once we have determined administrators’, teachers’ and students’ needs, we produce a professional development program aligned with the plan. An important deliverable is an outline of specific near and long term goals for the district. In fact, both parties shake on a clear understanding of responsibilities for deliverables and expectations for achievement. Following predetermined timelines and benchmarks, we are able to judge the success of the training and implementation.
Though technology can pay off for education, it does not pay for itself.
So where are the funding dollars? When are they available? What requisites exist? Who is eligible? What performance criteria must be met? Common questions posed by dollar-strapped school districts in today’s pay-as-you-go budget environment.
Futurekids has the answers and provides valuable grant writing services as part of our 5-step solution. We know the application process inside out. We’re deadline-savvy, process smart. Most importantly, we not only help schools obtain funding, we assess to ensure that they meet program requirements. Using our proprietary reporting system, school districts can verify the effectiveness of their technology investment and use that validation in pursuit of future funding.
Our Training Makes Technology
an Open Book.
Training
Training is Job #1 for Futurekids: helping teachers and administrators to capitalize on technology and improve learning outcomes for students. In a profession as fluid as teaching, it’s likely that different individuals hold varying degrees of proficiency. So we design professional development programs that match with a school’s individual technology literacy.
Our training techniques vary, depending on the environment and the trainee population. Site-based, project based and thematic pedagogical strategies meet the different skill levels of each participant.
Courses are comprehensive with all content based on the National Educational Technology Standards developed by ISTE. Educators receive training in the basic fundamentals of computer literacy, the application of technology in the workplace, curriculum integration and classroom management with technology. Core technologies addressed include everything from operating systems, Internet, multimedia and graphics to word processing, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, database and applied technology.
By completion of the training program, teachers know how to use technology to full advantage, how to infuse key subjects like math, science, socials studies and language arts, as well as grade-specific content, with invigorating technology learning tools. Surprising to many, teachers can use their tenured lesson plans and tried-and-true projects; they merely enhance them (and their outcomes) with technology.
As an added enhancement to the Futurekids training, teachers have the option of earning certification credits for their participation.
If educators and other staff members do not understand
how to use new technologies and incorporate them
into the classroom, a district’s technological
investment will not achieve its desired results.
CEO Forum on Education and Technology,
“Professional Development: A Link to Better Learning,” 1999.
Training Modules for Administrators
Leadership and Vision
Learning and Teaching
Productivity and Professional Practice
Support Management and Operations
Assessment and Evaluation
· Developing a Technology Plan II
· Using Databases to Help Manage People
· Special Topic: The Assessment Cycle
Social, Legal and Ethical Issues
· Completing a Technology Plan
· Special Topic: Technology, Ethics, and Safety
Case Study
Newsome Park Elementary School
Newsome Park Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, implemented a program to teach children about technology and apply it to their personal endeavors. By using the Futurekids solution, the school enabled thousands of children to gain a higher level of technological understanding and comprehension. In recognition of the program, the school received the 2003 “Virginia Technology Program of the Year Award,” given to schools which demonstrate excellence in technology integration within the classroom. Newsome Park was also recognized as one of 26 program excellence award winners in the U.S. by the International Technology Education Association.
Our One-of-a-Kind Mentoring Program
Helps Teachers Master
Our Valuable Courseware.
Mentoring
Our unique mentoring program puts Futurekids mentors on site to give hands-on help. These are not two-hour visits from a disengaged trainer. Futurekids’ mentors establish a valuable, ongoing relationship. They are an important part of a comprehensive training superstructure built to ensure that technology gets integrated, now and in the future. Hands-on training enables teachers to ask questions firsthand and receive direct, immediate feedback. Of course, online training and support is only a computer screen away at all times.
Courseware
Futurekids’ courseware makes a “teacher’s aid” of technology. It leverages the school’s existing curriculum and adds a sharply focused layer of content. The goal? To improve students’ understanding of and facility with 21st century learning tools and skills... to ensure academic success.
The Futurekids teacher curriculum prepares educators to integrate technology into the classroom. It gives them unprecedented resources to apply new skills across a universe of information. Courseware includes:
· Classroom Currents Language Arts - a supplemental language arts curriculum that easily integrates technology into the classroom. Includes a set of technology-enhanced learning tools combined with project based lessons
· Real Journeys in Technology - an adventure-themed, core curriculum for grades K-8 that delivers valuable skills in 10 key technology areas
· Technology Essentials - a school-to-work focused program designed to equip high school students with advanced computer skills applicable to a variety of professional environments.
We’ve Created a Gateway to the Future
for Teachers and Students.
Futurekids online Gateway provides a lesson planning tool ideal for integrating technology into classroom study and activity. Also through the Gateway, students can use Internet tools to collaborate and communicate with 2.4 million kids in classrooms worldwide. The tools and resources available to educators and students through the Gateway are practically limitless in number. Infinite in scope. The intended outcome? A student population that is technology smart and achievement rich.
Students use the Gateway for:
Teachers use the Gateway for:
Administrators use the Gateway for:
Preparing students to succeed in the 21st century is of
crucial importance to educators, employers, parents and
the nation as a whole. The vibrancy of our communities,
our personal quality of life, economic vitality and
business competitiveness all depend on a
well-educated citizenry and well prepared workforce.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills, “Learning for the 21st Century:
A Report and MILE Guide for21st Century Skills,” 2003.
Futurekids Ensures that Technology Makes the Grade.
Assessment
It is impossible to know where one stands without first knowing where one started. Futurekids assesses the technology proficiency of teachers, administrators and students at the beginning of our engagement as well as throughout the solution’s phased steps. Of course, the goal is to see that our client’s technology investment is fully realized, that technology’s full promise for improving student learning is met. To that end, pre and post assessments are mapped to ISTE/NET standards for all participants.
Our assessment programs are the result of years of research and validation by two recognized leaders in the field of educational technology - Cambridge University and Boise State University.
Online assessment tools streamline and simplify the process. Once stakeholders have reviewed and evaluated their progress at each phase of the plan, adjustments can be made - the plan tweaked - to ensure continued optimal results. Ultimately, student performance reigns as the dominant driver in articulating objectives and delineating the means to accomplishing them.
We Elect to Work with Our Own Kind: Leaders.
Partnerships
How do companies that are best at what they do maintain that status? By choosing to work with companies who are best at what they do. In our search for a best of breed solution to professional development for educators, Futurekids has allied itself with technology giants Dell and Microsoft, among others.
Dell Education Alliance
Dell, a world leader in hardware solutions to schools and districts, has adopted Futurekids’ core product offering as part of its training solutions set. Dell offers Futurekids’ highly successful facilitator-led professional development program, a series of proven and tested teacher technology self-study guides that help with integrating technology into language arts, math, social studies and science. Also included in Dell’s Futurekids portfolio are our nationally-recognized tools for assessing technology skills.
Microsoft
Early in our history, Futurekids determined to develop and invest in the best software tools and align them with the latest requirements of the education community. Microsoft has been a logical partner in sustaining this goal. A recognized world leader in productivity software, Microsoft has recently invested $250 million in global education technology. Futurekids’ solution for the professional development of educators will play an important role in the development of Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Project.
Futurekids is also working closely with Microsoft Corporation on its national Professional Development Alliance programs. Futurekids is one of a select group of providers that is working with Microsoft to help ensure that teachers, administrators and students receive adequate training on the 21st century tools available in the market today. Greg Butler, Manager of the Educator and Student Development Group at Microsoft, comments that "Microsoft knows the importance of professional development to technology success in schools. Having companies such as Futurekids as members of our Professional Development Alliance provides access to high quality learning experiences for teachers and administrators, allowing them to gain maximum benefit from their technology investments."
Case Study
New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) works to enhance quality of life by offering residents social services that give them opportunities to participate in job readiness and training initiatives. The Futurekids NYCHA after-school computer technology program was initiated to train over 2,000 children ages 9 to 12 in more than 25 community centers. Children were given an introduction to computer usage and applications, including hardware and Windows navigation, Web page development, word processing, spreadsheets, databases and multimedia presentations. The program’s goal? To teach computer literacy skills by having students create practical, reality-based projects using a variety of computer application software. It fostered a cooperative and rigorous academic environment and increased each child’s potential for self-development. The program was awarded the national 2000 “Best of the Best” practices award from among 704 nominations and 404 organizations.
Case Study
Long Beach Unified School District
Long Beach Unified School District recognized the importance of having a thorough technology plan but was uncertain that they had the time or the resources to develop one internally. The District selected Futurekids to help develop and implement a comprehensive technology plan. Guided by the District’s budgetary and time constraints, Futurekids devised a plan that addressed each area of concern. Included were a technology integration framework, comprehensive professional development, mentoring, training and facilitation, quantitative and qualitative assessment and access to Futurekids’ online gateway.
As a direct result of the Futurekids effort, Long Beach Unified School District was able to secure $128,000 in grant money, a California AB1339 Administrative Grant. Educators within LBUSD are today significantly more proficient at adopting technology and integrating it into their daily classroom activities. The District’s investments in computers and software have finally paid off. It now has a focused, thoughtfully delineated plan that should ensure long term success.
Now’s the Time to Think Far Ahead.
Call 888-844-2241 to arrange for a face-to-face meeting with one of our professional development technology specialists. Or contact us on the web at www.futurekids.com
Futurekids Mission:
The Futurekids solution empowers educators, students and administrators to be proficient with technology as a learning, instruction, administrative and communication tool resulting in better learning outcomes and improved return on investment.
FUTUREKIDS
1970 E. Grand
Ave.
Suite 130
El Segundo, CA 90245
800-765-8000
www.futurekids.com
|
|
