CHARLESTON, W. Va. — In front of a third grade class at Piedmont Elementary in Charleston, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin presented a proclamation declaring this week Computer Science Education Week throughout the state.
The hope is that more people will learn the importance and benefit of computers and technology in the classroom, especially when partnered with science, technology, engineering and math curriculums.
“That’s where the jobs are going to be in the future for any child that can obtain those skills, and any child can learn,” Tomblin said. “They’ve got to realize they’ve got to have those certain basic building blocks if they’re going to be successful and get the jobs that we’re creating in West Virginia.”
Expanding the use of technology in the classroom for STEM-based education is one thing that new state Superintendent of School Michael Martirano has pushed for. The proclamation comes as a welcome sign of support from the governor.
“I’m just thrilled in terms of it in the sense of anything that we’re doing to prepare our young people for the future, particularly in terms of the competitive edge, I want to support extensively,” he said. “The governor’s proclamation memorializes the STEM initiatives but also the focus on computer science.”
Martirano and Tomblin both interacted with the students in the classroom full of desktop computers, laptop computers, iPads and a SMART board –an interactive whiteboard.
Kanawha County Superintendent said their county has embraced the methods and feels blessed they have had the financial support to implement the technology into the elementary school.
However, it was a process to do so.
“I think first we were working hard to build our infrastructure so that we could handle all the technology in our schools,” he said. “Now, we’re at a point where we’re starting to add more and more technology and then also coupling that with training for our teachers.”
He said the next step in the process is to equip the middle and high schools in the county with the same technologies.
Some teachers have had to study up on the new methods, while other tech-savvy employees have picked it up and ran.
They all are beginning to notice the benefit.
“Anything you put on a piece of technology, they instantly pay more attention to it. Instantly,” Laura Jensen a third grade teacher at Piedmont Elementary said. “I can put the same problem on that slate up there that I do on that SMART Board and they are a thousand percent more interested in [the SMART Board] than they are in that one [on the slate].”
Jensen said the new technology is a great tool to teach the students of today and would like to see it expand for her fellow teachers at schools in the state without the program.
She also mentioned the need for funds to purchase some of the educational apps. While some are free, many do cost a little amount. So, perhaps next time one donates classroom supplies, an iTunes gift card might be an option.
Governor Tomblin spoke with students, encouraging them to stay on the path and embrace STEM education.
“I want to just encourage you all to continue to learn all you can, to be as smart as you can,” he said. “You’re going to be our leaders in the very near future.”