In a world where so much revolves around technology, high school students often only have the opportunity to use technology as part of their in-school learning process for an average of 30 minutes per week.
That is something that Scott McLeod, associate professor of educational leadership at Iowa State University, would like to see change in Iowa classrooms.
McLeod was the keynote speaker Tuesday afternoon at the Iowa Central Summer Science Institute at Iowa Central Community College, where he addressed a group of 25 high school and college science instructors on how they can implement technology in the classroom and why it is so crucial for students to be able to develop workplace skills and remain engaged in their course work.
"Digital technology has had a dramatic impact on society and jobs," said McLeod. "Students use technology at home, but at school they can be punished for using it. Schools sometimes see it as a paper world, and they still work a lot like they did 100 years ago. Digital technology has led us to do more than they can do on paper."
McLeod focused on how technology affects the STEM fields - science, technology, engineering and math - and how students need to know and use it as much as possible to succeed in school and in their careers after graduation.
"There is a greater interest in the STEM fields," he said."The growth in the economy will come from those fields, so we need more engineers and scientists, that is where jobs are coming from."
The Summer Science Institute was founded last year as a partnership with Iowa Central Community College, Wyeth and Fort Dodge Animal Health, Iowa State University and the Iowa Department of Economic Development to introduce educators to curriculum that will introduce "real world" experience to students.
"Iowa Central's desire is to help provide a curriculum to teachers that is relevant to the real world," said Jim Kersten, associate vice president of development and government relations. "We've worked with Bernie King, the vice president of manufacturing at Fort Dodge Animal Health, and Julie Rabinowitz with Wyeth, and they have been very supportive of this program."
Rabinowitz, who is an attorney with Wyeth's Washington, D.C., offices said she has become involved with the program because of the company's desire to help students understand the STEM applications and how relevant they are.
"In a community like Fort Dodge where it's not as easy to get entry-level workers, we want to educate students in the STEM subjects so they can learn what opportunities there really are in them," she said.
McLeod said he believes younger generations see opportunities with the daily usage of technology that would benefit school curriculums.
"Students see a lot of possibilities in technology," he said. "There are a lot of people out there who are still afraid of technology when we should embrace it."
Contact Emilie Nelson at (515) 573-2141 or enelson@messengernews.net