Saving Society From Education's Perfect Storm

An Excerpt from an article by Michele Alperin in
the February 25, 2009 issue of U.S. 1 Newspaper

‘America’s Perfect Storm,” a January, 2007, report by the Educational Testing Service, details three concurrent forces in American society that, if not deflected by policy changes, will have far reaching implications for the nature of our society: The disparity in literacy and number skills among different segments of the population; economic changes driven by technological innovations and globalization; and demographic changes, fueled largely by immigration.The report’s goal is to raise the attention of American educators, businesses, and policy makers to the factors that will create tumult: divergent skill distributions; economic changes; demographic changes; the business sector; business leaders; legislators and most importantly

Technology. In some parts of the country, says Cascio, vice president of interactive learning, foundations are providing schools with new technology and training teachers to engage students and help them learn in different ways. “Technology, if used properly, can give students access to education in ways different than ever. With computers, cell phones, or mobile technologies, for example, students can learn in nontraditional settings — even from playing games.

New Jersey is looking at the America Diploma Project curriculum standards, he says, which require greater rigor as well as increased focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics — subjects seen as vital to better preparing students to compete globally."

Cascio heads the interactive learning strategic business unit, launched in January, 2007, which is creating products to deliver learning through the Internet, hand-held devices, multimedia technologies, and other distribution channels.