Texas District Pushes Tech Literacy

In the Abilene ISD, teacher David Curry noticed a disconnect with his eighth-graders: His students knew how to use Web 2.0, but most of them lacked a basic understanding of tech terms and concepts, which became evident when most of them did poorly on a technology proficiency test, according to the Abilene Reporter News.

"Kids know technology, but not this technology," said Mark Gabehart, AISD's technology chief. "They know social networking, Facebook, texting, maybe Twitter. A few may be podcasting, but they're just learning on their own and it's not the same thing."

The aforementioned test asks students about search engine terms, Internet research techniques and how to save a file in .html format, among others. The results of the test were the same across the district, and they represent the state's ongoing struggle to weave technology curriculum into the core courses that focus on the TAKS tests.

The trend is pushing district officials to devise creative ways to make sure future students develop keen computer skills. Starting in 2011, the district will introduce a new Texas history curriculum that includes computer-specific projects, where students will gather research and create multimedia projects, newsletters and spreadsheets. The hope is that the district reaches the state's goal of having at least 86 percent of students tech-savvy by 2020.

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