Curriculum development and Funding - Essay Example

Curriculum development and Funding Introduction: The “No Child Left Behind” Program was implemented in the 1990s and has focused on ensuring that every child is able to achieve at least a basic education, by making the school districts accountable in this respect. The advances in technology have played a crucial role in increasing demand for accountability from educational institutions, since the various sectors of higher education are increasingly being viewed by State Governments as the means to enhance worker skills in the use of technology to strengthen the state’s economic position and contribute to increased productivity (Alexander, 2000, p 412). Hence, the proposal to develop a Community Technology Center is likely to be very beneficial to the community as a whole in training young students and older members who wish to improve their computer skills. Proficiency in the use of technology has a positive impact upon an individual’s prospects in the job market; moreover it will also enable local businesses to be able to compete more effectively with other organizations without necessarily outsourcing their operations. The curriculum: The proposal is to introduce a curriculum on technology that can effectively target different categories of learners. Therefore, some courses will be targeted at beginners which will be offered in two or three batches, while the more advanced level courses will cater to fewer individuals and can also be developed slowly as funding becomes available. However, initially, the focus will be on two kinds of courses (a) the beginner’s introduction to computer fundamentals, which will target people among the older generation who would like to learn how to use a computer and its resources (b) the elements of computer technology, which will target school children and other individuals who have had some exposure to computers, such as Internet, but who are interested in learning how to design a website or learning a computer language. Elements of the beginner’s course: Basic computer concepts – bits and bytes, assembly language, parts of the computer, systems design, flowcharting Flowcharting for different kinds of systems, such as payroll, accounting, employee records, grade calculations and student records, etc Database management, use of the Internet, filing and folders Microsoft word, Excel, Powerpoint, Paint, Networking, net meeting, using outlook express and other messaging systems, chat and practical training through execution of actual projects on a small scale. Elements of Computer Technology: This course will be target at the slightly advanced category of learner who has mastered the fundamentals. This course will include a more detailed examination of systems design, record keeping and database management, VIP networks, data encryption, algorithms, intranet. Apart from this, it is also proposed to include the study of some computer languages and initial choice that could be offered is C++ and SQL and the students required to prepare and present programs which run and which are geared towards performing a useful function in the business environment. Web design, such as creation of a website and its management, JAVA programming, creating Adobe Acrobat files, data and text mining and a variety of other languages can form part of the curriculum for courses at the more advanced level, with more advanced practical training. Education must remain flexible and adjustable to suit the needs of the students and the workplace. Economic development involves training and apprenticeship, however making it voluntary is likely to have a more positive effect than implementing it on a compulsory basis. The staff for the Center can be hired from among qualified applicants who can be paid using funds collected from private donors. Other aspects of the Technology Center: The Technology center could also function as a central database and library for the entire community. If members of the Community participate in enabling funding for equipment and data transfers, it will become possible to collect a vast store of information that can be stored on microfiche and via other methods, to be available for access by the public for a nominal fee. Meetings can be held at the Centre where recent developments in technology are discussed and experts in various subjects can be invited to give lectures. On the whole, this Center could therefore be of benefit to the entire community, because it would help to keep the residents of the community up to date on the developments in a field that is changing almost on a day to day basis. It would also serve as the educational foundation for members of various generations to acquire or enhance their skills in the fields of technology by providing them the kind of knowledge and vocational training that will make them valued workers in the workplace. In this manner, they will also be able to contribute more to the community. Financing: Since federal tax dollars have to be matched by state funds, the availability of a better trained workforce that is able to earn better wages will improve the fiscal budget of the State and contribute more taxes to its coffers since more members will be earning members as opposed to dependence on social security benefits. According to Gordon (1984), single motherhood for example, is now so prevalent that it has become a social phenomenon (p 15). They have been perceived thus far from the perspective of welfare recipients not entitled to entitlements than other sections of society, such as the elderly and unemployed received (p 211). Similarly, the interests of certain racial groups such as blacks have not been protected, largely due to the “white notion of welfare” (p 119). This has produced sections of society who have been denied a quality education and the opportunity to pursue their dreams, which is being partly redressed by the No Child Left Behind Act, that provides for basic levels of education for every child. Therefore it is necessary for policy initiatives to draw that distinction between “insurance” and “assistance” that currently exists within the Social Security system in order to develop the system of entitlements in a manner that will be more equitable to the poorer and female sections of the society, so that they can pull themselves out of the category of recipients of ‘charity” and become productive, contributing members of society instead (Gabe and Falk, 1995; Vobejda, 1996). Poverty in a region is inextricably linked to low wages between $5.75 to $6 per hour, as researchers have shown (Churchill,1995; National Alliance of Business 1997) and the funding gap for education exacerbates the problem of lack of job skills. Workers can acquire such job skills only through improved education (Murnane and Levy, 1997). But in small, rural states, fragmented public programs (Carnevale, 1999, p 48) have caused increasing numbers of impoverished, inadequately trained adults (National Alliance of Business, 1997). Government has recognized the urgent need to improve educational facilities and training in order to place people from rural states on par with the global marketplace, so that workers possess the job skills that are required in the current global market. This is where the current proposed technology Center is likely to be of enormous benefit, in providing the kind of stimulus and resources for several members of society to become productive earning members in work related areas, thereby contributing more tax dollars and enabling the state/District in which the Center is located to push for more federal tax dollars, since they can be matched locally. Financing: Initial sources of funding need to be procured largely from private investors and/or grants that may be available from private foundations for educational to technology training purposes. For example, the Gates Foundation could be one of the sources approached for funding, since it provided $400 million in resources such as software and training to public libraries in 2002 (St Lifer 1999) According to Summerford (1995), private donors from the community are interested in supporting programs that empower citizens and produce long term improvements in the community.” In the context of private fund raising for libraries, William Gordon in an interview with Harrison, identifies five critical aspects of a successful fund raising effort that will elicit the support of the community (a) work within time commitments (b) keep promises (c)ensure that all fund raising members are motivated (d) maintain good relations with the members of the public by providing good customer service and (e) prepare to face opposition from members of the public who may have different ideas on program implementation. (Harrison 1997). Therefore, the funding will involve active canvassing among earning members in society and private foundations, however one the Center starts in a small way, and it can expand and improve access to federal funds through enhanced matching of funds by the State, as mentioned above. References: Alexander, King F. (2000). “The Changing face of Accountability” Journal of Higher Education, July/August 2000, 71 (4), p. 411-432 Carnevale, Anthony P. (1999).”Beyond consensus: Much Ado about job training” Brookings Review, 17(4) Churchill, N. (1995). “Ending welfare as we know it: A case study in urban anthropology and public policy” Urban Anthropology and Studies of Cultural Systems and World Economic Development, 24(1), p. 5-35. Gabe, T., & Falk, G. (1995). “Welfare reform: Implications for work and welfare, the role of work incentives and work requirements”. Bethesda, MD: University Publications of America. Gordon, L. (1995). Pitied but not entitled: Single mothers and the history of welfare, 1890-1935. New York: Vintage Books. Sumerford, S 1995. “Careful Planning: The fundraising Edge” North Carolina Libraries, 53(1), p. 3-5 Harrison, M.M., 1997. “A Five Point Plan for local support and funding for libraries” Library Administration and Management, 12(4): 195-199 Murnane, Richard J and Levy, Frank. (1997). “A Civil society demands education for good jobs”. Educational Leadership, 54(5), pp 34-36 National Alliance of Business. (1997, March). Washington Legislative Update. Washington, DC: Author. St. Lifer, E, 1999. “Libraries succeed at funding books and bytes” Library Journal, 124(1): 50-52 Vobejda, B. (1996). “Welfares next challenge: Sustained employment.” Washington Post, Sept 22, p. A1, A2, A12. Read More