Futurekids Participates In Groundbreaking New Research Study Commissioned By U.S. Department Of Education
LONG BEACH, Calif. – (February 10, 2001) – Futurekids, Inc., a leading
provider of educational technology solutions, in partnership with Newsome
Park Elementary School will participate in a groundbreaking new research
study called the Integrated Studies of Educational Technology (ISET). The
study will be conducted by SRI (Stanford Research Institute International)
on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s Planning and Evaluation
Service.
“We are extremely honored to be a part of this landmark study. We anticipate
that the conclusions will mirror our mission to help schools become
futureschools by integrating real-life applications of technology into the
teaching and learning process,” said Rick Harrell, Futurekids’ Vice
President of the School Group. “Futurekids is truly catalytic in this
transformative process. Partnering with Futurekids will facilitate the
paradigm shift occurring in education today, resulting in more active and
engaged learning brought about by an increased investment in technology
training.”
The ISET study will focus on the success factors that contribute to
effective vendor-school relationships regarding professional development in
the use of technology. The purpose of the study is to discover how states,
districts, administrators, and teachers perceive the current state of
professional development in educational technology, and to determine what
the best practices are for its use in schools and classrooms.
“Futurekids training solidified the collaborative learning model that is the
vision of Newsome Park Elementary’s professional development of teachers in
the use of technology,” said Pete Bender, Principal. “Student learning at
Newsome Park significantly increased in every subject area, as measured by
the increase of the 2000 Virginia Standards of Learning scores. The
Futurekids curriculum allows the teachers to actively learn, practice and
implement the use of technology as a tool to increase student learning.”
Additional research questions will focus on the contextual factors, such as
strategies, resources, leadership, and evaluation that contribute to
effective professional development in educational technology, and the
circumstances under which the instructional use of technology results in
significant changes in teaching and learning.
Analysis derived from the ISET study will provide the U.S. Department of
Education with the critical data it needs to enable policymakers to make
informed decisions about future federal investments in educational
technology. This in turn will empower teachers with the learning tools they
need to ensure students’ professional success in an increasingly
technology-based world.
About Futurekids
Futurekids is the premier provider of technology teacher training solutions
for schools and universities around the world. Futurekids has a 22-year
record of success in technology education. Their core competency is
providing technology training as it relates to teaching and learning. They
have relationships and achievements with many key educational partners such
as Intel, IBM and Dell. Futurekids is privately owned with headquarters in
Los Angeles, CA. For more information on Futurekids, please visit
http://www.futurekids.com.
Newsome Park Elementary School
Newsome Park Elementary School is part of the Newport News Public School
District, in Newport News, Virginia. The school commenced its partnership
with Futurekids in the spring of 1999 to encourage the professional
development of teachers in relation to technology-curriculum integration.
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