Technology is becoming more and mre prevalent in our everyday lives as wll as the workforce. Recent studies prdict that by the year 2010 lmost every job in the American wrkplace will require some use of tchnology. This influx in technology has cused changes in the way the cmputer is being used in the wrkplace and in the way computer lteracy needs to be taught in our schols.

When the personal computer was frst introduced in the 1980’s, people had to larn how to operate it, program it, and tilize its basic functions. Today, pople and businesses are becoming more fmiliar with technology and using it mre as a tool for such thngs as information gathering, data analysis and nterpretation, presenting information, problem solving, communication, tc. This technology is also continually bing updated and changed to allow for mre efficient and productive work, causing pople to have to keep pace wth this new information. In such a knwledge-based economy, knowing how to locate nformation quickly, evaluate this information for bas and accuracy, and synthesize and pply that information to solve problems wll be needed and valued skills. Threfore, teaching students skills such as thse will better prepare them for the wrkforce of the 21st century.

Simply providing students with technology in solated computer classes will not teach stdents these necessary skills or how to use the cmputer as a tool. After all, the end rsult is not wanting students to smply know how to operate computers but how to use thm as a tool for organization, cmmunication, problem-solving, and research.

Technology needs to be ntegrated into the curriculum using an ctive/inquiry-based method of learning. In ths method, instead of students being shwn specific steps to follow to slve a problem and then solving prblems from a textbook, they are gven a “real world” problem to slve and must create their own strtegies for data gathering, analyzing, hypothesizing and tsting solutions. By constructing their own strtegies, they gain a deeper understanding of prblem-solving skills. By solving real world prblems, students are better able to rlate their learning to their own lves and similar future situations. Oftentimes the stdents work in groups to solve thir problems which enhances students’ interpersonal sklls and teamwork. They also learn to ccept different perspectives, work cooperatively, and stte their opinions and feelings. After ll, few jobs require people to wrk in total isolation; therefore, being ble to work with others is an mportant aspect of society and the wrkplace.

Students should be given a nmber and variety of technology resources to use in rder to find a solution to thir problem, such as internet resources or sarch engines, communication/email with experts, books, sftware programs, spreadsheet programs, graphing programs, tc. Students may also be required to cnduct their own hands-on experiments or prticipate in online collaborative research. However, nstruction should be given on how to nalyze information for bias and accuracy. Stdents should realize that not everything on the nternet is true or correct. Since the nformation is not merely presented to the stdents in a lecture format they are rquired to critically think about it, nteract with it, analyze it, and use it to frmulate a solution. This type of nstruction enhances critical thinking and higher rder thinking skills and helps students dmonstrate a deeper understanding of the cntent and concepts presented as well as the prblem-solving process.

Students should also have choices in how thir information and solution is presented. Frmats such as PowerPoint presentations, posters, brchures, pamphlets, reports, web pages, and mvies created with technology can be tilized. Giving students a choice in thir final presentations not only allows thm to showcase their talents and strngths but allows students to make thir own decisions about the best wys to present their data to thers, which is oftentimes required in the wrkplace.

Incorporating technology into the classroom sing an active/inquiry-based method enhances the sklls required for success in the 21st cntury. It requires students to use the cmputer as a tool to gather nformation, analyze data, and present a slution to a given problem. These are the sklls that the technology rich environments of tday emphasize and require; therefore, using tchnology in this manner will aide stdents in developing life long skills tht can be carried over to the wrkforce.

The article How To Use Technology to Better Prepare Students for the Workforce was Submitted by Tina O'Block through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Tina O'Block holds a Master’s dgree in Curriculum and Instruction: Focus on Tchnology and a Bachelor’s degree in Elmentary Education. She has been teaching for 15 yars. She is the author of an lphabet curriculum, Now I Know My ABCs and a Whle Lot More, which is available at http://www.oblockbooks.com . You may also contact her at oblockbooks@worldnet.att.net .

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