Previous Events
IT Innovation Summit Series – Reflections from Participants and Attendees
Leading Information Technology (IT) executives from business, industry and education assembled in Anaheim, CA October 5, 2011 and Sacramento, CA March 5, 2011 for an IT Innovation Summit Series sponsored by the non-profit association for Web professionals and its WhyITNow.org initiative. The IT Innovation Summit Series focused on Health IT, Green IT, Web design and development, IT Pathways, Articulation, Vision, challenges and opportunities for the Future.
Highlighted below are reflections from a few that participated.
Gary Page, Consultant California Department of Education.
“I’d like to thank the WebProfessionals.org association and the WhyITNow.org initiative for hosting the IT Innovation Summit Sacramento. The most exciting thing is that the WhyITNow.org initiative has brought in people of from all different aspects of education and industry and we have found that we have consensus on some key issues. For example, one of the problems is that we’re not talking with each other and that we’re living in silos and we need to break away from that somehow. I think that there is a consensus that we need to get together more and work together.”
Mary La Prade, Willows Unified School District
Problems, Challenges Barriers to IT education in California
1.Classes not considered state of the art enough to transition into university.
2.Lack of communication between county offices, high schools, community colleges high school districts to establish for computer literacy courses.
3.Students not trained with industry standard skills
4.Lack of communication and agreement of classes between community colleges and state colleges and universities
5.Perception of value of IT programs
Solutions
•Business need greater involvement with professional development of the teaching profession.
•IT has to be reinforced in every subject areas provided at the education institution
•County office could be the facilitated to bring all players together
From Paula Stephan, Placer County Office of Education
Problems, Challenges Barriers to IT education in California
1.Enrollment (Elimination of electives)
2.Lack of basic computer skill
3.Conceptualization of curriculum, workplace experience for teachers
4.No Pathways
Solution
•Make CTE graduation requirements
•Digital literacy H.S. Basic Skill
•Internship for teachers
•Business – IT Across the sectors
From Julie Cole, Oxnard Union High School District OUSHD
Problems, Challenges Barriers to IT education in California
1.20 year old course on the book
2.We have some courses with Rigor and Relevance however – the bar keeps moving
3.Define Computer literacy at all grade levels
4.Not enough time to collaborate with each other
5.Not enough money to pay for all of the development that needs to take place
6.Communication articulation up and down from our grade level
Solutions
* Encourage legislation that we must have CTE as a component for graduation
* Share our “new course on the WhyITNow.org and WebProfessionals.org
* Link a-g articulation up and down
James Jones, Mid Pacific ICT Center (MPICT) San Francisco, CA
Problems, Barriers. Issues to IT education in California
Problems:
Inconsistent Terminology
Inconsistent business demand expressions
Misinformation
Devalued academic credential b/s g inconsistencies
No widely adopted ICT academic standards
Barriers
Many different Silos, frequently competing and not communicating and different cultures
Issues:
Rapidly changing technologies
Solutions
Getting decision makers identified
Getting statewide advisory group of ICT education
Widely adopted ICT academic standards and pathways and curriculum and credentials built on them
