70328 21st Century Schools
Submitted by Ted on Tue, 2006/03/28 - 8:01am.
In early January our Governor Napolitano addressed an executive order to the School Facilities Board for them to study and report on how they could build 21st Century Schools. http://azgovernor.gov/media/ExecutiveOrders.asp
I had a meeting in March with John Aldrich yesterday, Executive Director of the SFB to discuss the eLearningi implications on their bricks and mortar, and technology and equipment mandate. I learned that they are preparing to build 800 new schools over the next 20 years as Arizona’s population continues to surge upward at 3 to 4 percent a year.
As eLearning technology continues to both profligate and transform itself they need to anticipate the new school design models that could emerge and the design criteria. Is the current school with 80 square foot per student overall and 35 square foot per student in the classroom going to continue? Will the acceleration of learning and shorter time to graduation be realized by eLearning adoption? How will this create construction avoidance in the future? How will the classroom be transformed, and will the current funding of one computer per eight students be changed? What about emerging technology such as electronic white boards and systems?
What is needed is current models of full eLearning adoption to reference for their study. Two that I recommend are Carpe Diem charter school (6-12) in Yuma and Wilson Districti (K-8) in Phoenix. Both unique facility models, along with Empire High’s laptop model in Vail District.
What I need from you is leads to other physical schools that have adopted the eLearning model. The fundamental definition of an eLearning school this that all the students have anytime access to digital curriculum. They can be anywhere on the globe. Just email me a lead, I will follow-up, and then deliver a packet of information on the school the School Facilities Board. tkraver@qwest.net
