Continuing to Run Behind!

The 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released a document in November that indicated a modest rise in achievement for 12th-graders since 2005. However, the key fact released indicated that, “The scores mean that 38 percent of seniors demonstrated proficiency in reading and 26 percent reached that level in math.” (The Washington Post; November 19, 2010; page A9)

This follows an earlier NAEP study, issued by the Department of Education, that reported that only 25 percent of our fourth graders are able to form opinions from what they read and that only 34 percent of our high school graduates can.

This lack of real progress in our schools is in sharp contrast to what has been taking place in America’s businesses and industries where the results from training programs have shown marked improvement.

And, it appears the answer lies in the adoption of media learning technologies into business and industrial training while our nation’s schools stubbornly adhere to the old lecture/reading method of instruction — in spite of the indisputable fact that the world transitioned into a television learning culture nearly fifty years ago.

Many of the foundation skills and competencies (including math and reading) — so critical to the workplace — can be achieved through the use of technology in the classroom, K-12 and beyond. According to much research, students using technology demonstrate any number of improvements: more confidence, higher motivation, peer mentoring, collaboration, enhanced self-esteem as well as a confidence about being able to learn to use (the) new tools” that they will encounter in the years ahead.

Quoting from one research study, “Compared to conventional classrooms with their stress on verbal knowledge and multiple-choice test performance, technology provides a very different set of challenges and different ways in which students can demonstrate what they understand.” Added benefits may be found in that “students watch less television, while improving problem-solving and critical thinking skills . . . technology rich schools report higher attendance and fewer dropouts.”

And, so it is proving to be in our adult work world. Organizations that are moving from “live instruction” to the multiple benefits of multi-sensory learning are leaping ahead.

Again, that same multi-sensory media instruction comes to mind as the most flexible solution. It offers privacy to the learner, ease of use, scheduling flexibility, and stands ready to offer initial or refresher training as needed.

The world is changing. And, both the reading minority and the less adept readers will benefit from the technology advances that are rapidly coming. And, most importantly, then we will see reading and math scores going up and up and up!

More on Tuesday – – – – –

— Bill Walton, Founder, ITC Learning
bwalton@itclearning.com

“THE WORLD RELIES ON THE HANDS OF ITS MEN AND WOMEN”